Somewhat to my surprise, having set up the league the last couple of years and never having come anywhere near the top before, I find myself in a safe 4th place with one day to go. Champions league beckons and all without breaking the Financial Fair Play rules.

I share your pain. I have a very old Dell laptop with a Turion chip. Won’t run the latest versions of Mint but will run Ubuntu 12.10. Spent best part of an evening trying to get wireless to work with no luck despite following guidance and rebooting several times. Gave up in disgust and next time I switched on it promptly asked for the network password and rapidly connected. Don’t bother to ask, I have no idea why.

Very sad.

I think it is being organised by the same team that run the MTBO in North Yorks, and in the last couple of years they have published the maps without controls on the website a few days ahead of time.

You used to find the same few people spending ages monopolising the maps before events so this system gives everyone a fair crack and has proven popular in the MTBOs.

Tried several and finished up with one from Feedback Sports. I think they do 3 or 4 models and I have one of the midrange ones but have read good reviews of the Sport Mechanic which is around for 120-130ukp and there is a budget one below that as well. On the one I have the head is excellent, it is very stable in use while being light and folding up fairly small.

I think the answer is yes. It was never complete but some 15-20 years later according to articles in the Guardian, the pre Hillsborough circulation figures of 55,000 had only got back to around 12,000 on a good day. Most of the Liverpool fan sites still make it clear that the boycott is alive and well and the Hillsborough Justice Campaign has encouraged it as well.BBC News summary from 2012 here.

I think there are still areas of Liverpool where you would struggle to buy it even if you wanted to as it simply is not stocked.

Very sad.

Condolences to his friends and family.

Used the Evoc 16l for 2 years now. Had been using a North Face pack up until then which was about the same size as the 10l Evoc so knew that would be too restricting. 16l has been great, well built, adaptable fit, well organised. Didn’t come with a bladder but I had bladders already so saw that as an advantage.

Linux is a bigger pain in the ass than Windows. Enjoy typing in a command line interface? You’ll be doing a fair bit of that.

Used to be the case that you could feel personal pride at getting a linux system to run at all but not been the case that you will need to spend any time on command line for some years. Ubuntu and Mint are positively user friendly.

Currently running 1 Win7 setup, 2 dual boot Win7/Ubuntu setups, a Win RT tablet, a Linux Mint desktop and a Ubuntu laptop. Over and above the Windows OS, not running any software I have paid for on any of them, a legacy of discovering open source when I first used Linux some 10 years ago.

If you filter out some of the more extreme its brill, its crap offerings above then a lot of what is said is fair and good sense. Getting it running on a desktop is easier, but there are places to find if your laptop is supported ( my 8 year old Dell laptop is despite using an almost unique wireless card ). You can download or purchase for a few quid a live CD with every bit of software you will ever need on it and run it off the CD or a USB stick to see if it works for you. I have never regretted using it and I have saved a fortune over the years.

Summary of all the best theories here on Sheldon Brown. I tend to find his conclusion the most persuasive:-

The theory that seems most probable to me is that the national standards arose from a concern that the cyclist be able to make hand signals, and still be able to reach the primary brake. This logical idea is, unfortunately, accompanied by the incorrect premise that the rear brake is the primary brake.

Hi richmars,

Nice to know I am not the only demon refugee. I also felt able to turn down the 35-45ukp per month for the next 3 years minimum to up my usage allowance to 100Gb/month. Thankfully, I had already purchased a domain name and sorted out a hosting contract that meant that our demon email addresses are almost out of use. I can in any case keep them in operation for 4-5ukp per month if needed.

No fibre to cabinet in our village yet but exchange should go ADSL2+ in the next 3 months as allegedly BT are to have all exchanges upgraded to ADSL2+ by the end of June. We are certainly the last one round here to go as they apparently need a road closure to do it. Zen assure me that they will be able to upgrade the service for no extra cost when the exchange gets sorted.

Parents recently switched to BT when they moved house. Getting everything ordered was a bit more time consuming then it might have been and hinted at the fact that the internet stories about their customer service or lack thereof might have some basis in fact but so far system has worked fine and supplied router seems excellent.

We are in the proces of leaving Demon having been with them since tenner a month dial up days and stuck with them through several changes of ownership. Now owned by Vodaphone and when we suddenly fell foul of a fair usage policy that they defended on the basis that they hadn’t emailed us to tell us of changes in policy and useage because they did not have an email on file for us – despite us having used demon email addresses for 15 years – it became obvious that they are aiming to attract and serve business users for the moment not domestic. Apparently Customer services can only be contacted between 9 and 5 and customer loyalty have no direct line because “they are not customer facing”. Felt embarrassed for the staff involved who were polite and helpful despite the idiocies of their system. Therefore, am in the process of changing to Zen and so far their customer service seems exemplary. Changeover this week so keeping my fingers crossed.

Got two local bridleways sorted out with th ehelp of a member of the British Horse Society and the Bridleways Trust. Got nowhere with trying to get it sorted out with the support of the local MTBers ( not that they were not trying, they just didn’t seem to have the right combination of influence and knowledge of the law ).

So the author of the piece quoted by the OP may have a point.

What tyres for a 15h Cleveland Bay?

Used Solwise set up to wire three houses now. No issues other than braodbandf wherever I want it.

First sensible ride this year as been restricted by minor health problem. Lovely day in North Yorkshire and not lost as much fitness as I feared.

BB7s on the better bike and bb5s on the folder/winter bike. 7s marginally better for the stuff I do but like ton I have gone for the no faff home mechanic solution.

Spent a lot of time hunting reviews on the web and went for Vidahost. Came well recommended and competitive on price. Very happy so far.

My tracks – now owned by Google IIRC and free. Uses basic google maps but fine for keeping track of where I took the wrong turning.

ImgBurn, I accessed it through the Ninite website.

Longtime user of Open Office and not had any disasters despite transfering docs back and forth to work which is MS Office based. Any issues tend to come from Microsofts slightly skewed interpretation of open document standards rather than any intrinsic issues with the Open Office software. Powerpoint/Impress conversion went wobbly until work updated to Office 2010 ( although powerpoint reader worked fine ). There is a bit of learning new tricks involved but the help files anticipate the need to guide MS Office users. I am currently using Libre Office. Limited experience so far but it seems quicker to load and a bit more intuitive. I think Libre Office is a spin off from OO and is where the people who started OO went. Also seen favourable write ups of Kingsoft Office in the press but no personal knowledge.

I have had files eaten by MS Office more than once over the years without them haveing been anywhere near one of the free alternatives. I think the advice on always having back ups is vital whatever program(s) you use.

Given that LibreOffice etc. are free not sure what you have to lose other than the warm glow of knowing that there is an MS Office size hole in your Bank Account.

Another satisfied owner of the Atera Strada with adaptor. I had a Tradekar before it but although perfectly serviceable it was heavy steel box frame construction and fitting it to the car was time consuming. The Atera is light, solid, allows access to the boot even with bikes on and as a family we have used it for holidays with four bikes without issue. Atera have a video showing how easy it is to attach and detach. Only issue is that it is expensive but then work out what the cost of the bikes on it is.

Thoroughly recommend the roof box company. Bought both racks and a roof box from them and had excellent service. Their website has excellent advice on it as well. They recommend the Buzz rack as the cheaper alternative and if that was my price range I would happily follow their advice.

As a home user I have bought desktops in the last couple of years from both Arbico and Chilliblast and both have been fine. Not sure I would buy from Mesh again in a hurry although that machine has now been resuscitated and is running Linux quite happily.

Desktops seem to best be found either from smaller mail order builders like thetwo above, or from someone like Dell who are huge and set up to cater to the business market – although that may be what you want reading your post and therefore their outlet site may be worth a look. Tablets and laptops are all the rage so tend to be what you find in retail stores. Depending on where you are in the country good old PC World may be your only option if you want to go hands on before you buy. Having said that they were by far the best deal on spec and price when I wanted a laptop for teenagers school work so may be worth a look.

For office duties and web browsing then onboard graphics and sound and 4MB memory should be fine. The 2 we bought both cost less than 400ukp plus the cost of the monitor ( they were upgrades so we already had monitors to use).

I work for a public service currently having kittens about the potential effect of XP vulnerabilities, I wouldn’t risk XP with client data. If you are not gaming then you don’t need a separate graphics card and as suggested above Libre Office is compatible with Office and the Ninite website will give you access to a whole host of free software that will do most things well.

Win 7 still seems to be readily available from system builders if not on retail store computers. I am no more convinced by Win 8 than Microsoft who are rumoured to be desparately working on Win 9, but if user is used ot it and likes it then fair enough.

In good condition they tend to go for more than that on ebay. 450 on a bad day, up to 600 if you get a bidding war. Not sure if the second batch with the brace on the brake side rear triangle get a better price or whether it is just coincidence.

Mrs Ratadog is a Kiwi. We were there in April.

Agree not worth taking bikes as cost, dammage and need to pass ministry inspection and have them treated for potential bugs makes it too expensive/ a complete hassle. Hire over there either on a daily basis from bike shops/trail centres or for the duration with the camper van. United had a deal with Natural High that I should have taken. Camper companies vary in the newness of the vans but there has been quite a bit of consolidation so that we went with United but they ae the same company as Maui and Britz if I remember rightly. Difference is in how new the vans are. Apollo, Kea also fine. There are a load of campervan comparison sites.

United do have a cheap deal with Natural High and will hire you bikes for the duration.

Ssince I was last there a few years ago mountain bike trails have sprung up. I rode in Hanmer springs – recommended for its hot springs and has a good local hire store as well – and Blenheim, where the mountain bike trails are outside town but rideable from the in town bike shops. Good system of trails in Nelson as well.We were not on a biking holiuday but I would probably have got more riding if I had hired for the duration.

Don’t know North Island, but agree you will struggle to do both. Top Ten camper sites are good and dependable quality. You can get a discount card and if you are there for 3 weeks wil save money.

Take an unlocked mobile and get a PAYG SIM when you get there. 2 degrees were by far the best deal when we were there.

Christchurch is a good place to go in and a base for campervans. I love the place but post earthquake it is sobering. Kaikoura is great, recommend the whale watching if the weather is right, the seal colony north of there is astonishing if at the right time of the year. The baby seals have a creshe at Oahu stream and it is an incredible sight. Blenheim/Marlborough is wine country. Lots of wineries with good restaurants – can recommend StClaire’s. Most of the trails are quite short and rideable on a hardtail/29er. You get a decent ride by joining up the segments. Nelson has some really good trails rideable from the city centre and some really good jewelers – cost me money every time I have been there.

Abel Tasman and Motueka as a base just south of it well worth a look.

Did the East Coast about 10 years ago. Much less populated. Queenstown in the south is the skiing centre and by repute has good trails but in winter is expensive – not been there myself.

Crossing the Sounds with a van is expensive. Best to book it up ahead when you book the rental if you are going to want to do it. Can also explore the sounds by van/bike/post boat and walk from Picton.

If passing can recommend the Two rivers cafe in Cheviot, or the store at Kekerengu for food and coffee when travelling between Christchurch and Blenheim.

And if that doesn’t work the next step is buy the presents and send them the bill.

Just stumbled past it, rest of family not interested, and took me right back to my youth. I was doing O levels and looking at medical schools and remember seeing info about Mike Jones when I visited Birmingham medical school, where he had qualified. Remember being gutted when he died a couple of years later.

Also remember Leo Dickenson’s documentaries being highlights of my youth.

Very sorry for you. Our labrador, the eponymous Ratadog, is 15+ and getting increasingly infirm. Not looking forward to the inevitable end.

My Favourite Year

Couldn’t bring myself to stump up the cost of the dually or the rabbit hole so building up a Kris Holm Freeride rim instead. We’ll se how it goies but it should be up to my weight.

Smoked reindeer wraps, a highlight of a fairly boring conference in Stockholm a few years ago and still remembered fondly.

Have we done the weird meat thread as a separate thing?

Springbok is a gamey venison
Antelope a bit tougher
Alligator and Croc both like a slightly fishy pork ( may be just to my imagination)
Bison/buffalo almost as good as reindeer, a slightly richer beef
Tar – not dissimilar to goat not unsurprisingly
Ostrich rich pheasant/chicken
Zebra – not unlike beef
Mutton bird – the clue is in the name

Got the unusual animal thing out of the system now and having beef for xmas dinner.

Their use still isn’t commonplace in the uk yet as they are more expensive than warfarin.

As above, nothing to do with cost. Although the drug is more expensive by the time you factor in the cost of the regular blood tests and monitoring of warfarin the switch to rivaroxaban etc. is undoubtably cost effective BUT

There is no proven antidote to rivaroxaban, however, whereas there is with warfarin.

this concentrates the mind. Already had several patients come through needing emergency surgery or suffering bleeding ulcers etc. and other than shoveling in the blood products there is not a lot you can do for 12-24 hours.

As soon as one of the drug companies comes up with an antidote to their new agent expect almost instant switchover and a massive boost to their profits.

Bosch and Miele both have a good rep and can last well but as above they are expensive. We are just on our third Indesit since 1997 so averaging 8 years a unit and around 200ukp per throw. They usually run a couple of times per day. In the end a combination of water, salt and muck is going to do any of them in so rather have a cheap one last 8 years than an expensive one.

+1 for the wheelpro book

Built the tools from it and then the wheels. Excellent book and the wheels are holding to gether nicely

Depends on your definition of light. Halo Freedom rims are listed as 545g for the 26 and 635g for the 29er. I have the 29ers and they built up well. Listed as 28mm external width and somewhat cheaper than the Flows.

Started going grey in my 20s. Like to think I am still but in reality I am now a very very very pale grey.

Thanks for this.

I’ll have a look at 123

find your local sewing shop.

Undoubtably the best advice. Ideally the things need the occasional service so a place to do that is good.

Mrs Ratadog collects sewing machines the way I collect bicycles and another one is likely to arrive soon if I do go ahead and add a Singular to the stable for Xmas. Bernina used to be the Rolls Royce of sewing machines and still are if you find the right one. We had one of the value models – except they didn’t call them that – which did have issues and I think they have now gone back to the premium end of the market.

Jenome is more correctly Janome and the biggest manufacturer of sewing machines in the world. Mrs R has 2 of their professional machines and they have been excellent. They produce machines to cater to all levels of expertise. Brother and Toyota ( a company that subsequently went into the car business in a small way ) also produce machines from beginner upwards and have a good rep.

Extra money buys you increased durability, the ability to work heavier weight materials and increased numbers of stitch patterns. At some stage well above your price band electronics kicks in and you then get fancy embroidery etc. etc.

I have one of the second batch of Lynskey built 456’s. The version with the brake side seat/chainstay brace. It must be 4 years old and no issues. I’m a clydesdale, but a hooves on the ground type so it has had regular use but not abuse.

One of the previous threads is here

and the other one is here

If you had a low T4, that is a low level of thyroxine which is the main hormone actually produced by the thyroid, I would be expecting a fairly instant re check and treatment thereafter.

The recheck in 3 months route is usually taken if the levels of T4 and T3 are OK but the TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, is a bit high. TSH does exactly what it says on the tin and is released by the pituitary gland which is a tiny gland just below the brain or out the back of the nose depending on whether you are an anatomist or a surgeon. Trouble is that the TSH will go up and down for all sorts of reasons particulalry other co-existent illnesses, viral infections etc. etc. hence the practice of repeating the test a few months later if the TSH alone is just a bit off.

If you do need replacement it is life long but in the vast majority of cases your body doesn’t give a monkeys whether you get your thyroid hormone from Boots or make it yourself as long as the right amount is floating around. CG is right, there are some people where replacement is more difficult usually because of issues with absorption or in very rare cases because they don’t process T4 to T3 as efficiently as they should. In my experience, it is a lot lot less than 15% of those affected and my job means I collect such people in a manner of speaking.

Thyroid advice on the internet is a perfect illustration of all that is good, bad and mad about the internet. The British Thyroid Foundation[/url] is a patient led registered charity that has a very informative website and strong connections with the British Thyroid Association which in turn serves the needs of boring people like me.

Rural North Yorkshire, mud guards essential even in summer