burko73 – you don’t happen to be the FC district manager who oversees Moors Valley do you?

Agree with above, bulky body with limited space inside and for load, and generally crap handling on the ones I’ve used. If you do go down the route, the only one I liked and was totally reliable was the Toyota Hilux though mine was just the 2 seater single cab and could carry much more kit obviously. Or as above 4wd van. Years back I had a Toyota Granvia 4wd which was ace on and off road, if a little thirsty.

I’m also looking for a replacement new Kombi/crew van too and likewise amazed at the lack of response and chasing needed for dealers. I need an auto so more limited (can’t find a trannie, vivaro auto etc, do they exist?) so inevitably been looking at VW but also Merc Vito – looking at the latter today, the only dealer who did actually respond to phone and email queries.

Cinnamon Girl – I live close enough to Moors Valley to ride there but I know a lot of people just park around the Ringwood Forest entrances at Ashley Heath, by the old railway line or Verwood Road and just ride in as parking on site is extortionate. Not been up there for a while, is that deathtrap watchmoor jumps area still going?

I got a HW97 a few months back from local ads for £150, good nick and very accurate but very heavy and probably too much for young people to start with. I had an Air Arms S200 before, much lighter, very accurate and quiet but pump up of course. I kind of regret getting rid of it but the seals kept going and it was starting to cost a bit to maintain. Our kids learnt with some ancient BSA .177 someone gave us and a Crossman CO2 rat gun.

OP – I think same car park (Soton?), I got a fee notice ticket for going over the free period by I think it was about 14 minutes (did get a ticket from machine though). That was a couple of years back. The advice I got then was just to ignore it if not from the Council or Police (it wasn’t, some private firm) and not to enter into any correspondence at all. I didn’t get any follow up letters. I assume they just hoped most people would panic and cough up. Looks like things have changed though going on what others say above.

See this thread too:
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/woodlog-cabin-in-the-garden

In Hants / Dorset, I’d recommend Stable Structures, we got a kit from their place near Hurn Aiport and built it ourselves a few years back over a long weekend, insulated floor and roof, been great as an office/teenage hangout and overflow when people stay. Price has gone up since we got ours but still pretty good value for the size:

http://www.fencingcentre.co.uk/penthouse-log-cabin-55m-x-40m.asp

If you are down south and doing it yourself, the local Inexcess stores are great value for felt/wood/screws/tools etc: http://www.in-excess.com/pages/store-details

None in Southampton store, ordered one via Apple website last weekend, says next week delivery. Anyone want an iphone 5 16gb on 02/giff gaff/tesco cheapish…..

Those little parakeets seem to have invaded Margate/Ramsgate when I go there, maybe they are just Londoners on a day trip

As others, via taking a redundancy package offered and then using contacts I’d made at my old work to secure extra funding to turn a hobby/part-time income earner I already had into a full-time business. After the inital emotional rollercoaster of a long term job ending, has been well worth it. One side that took some adjusting too was being home based – rest of family getting used to me being about most of the time, working every day till late and filling the place with all the stuff I use and sell. Learnt to be more disciplined about having a distinct separate working area and pattern. I like to think I wish I’d escaped the regular job years ago, but with others to support, bills to pay, the regular decent pay, pension contribution, paid holidays, nice workmates and a relatively satisfying job etc made it easy to stay and I probably would have done if the large scale redundancy didn’t come up and forced my hand. On balance though I’m glad I got the opportunity.

A student summer job was spent working in a certain confectionary manufacturers factory in a lovely Slough trading estate as a nightshift cleaner. I often wondered where nearly everyone else went as I seemed to be pretty much on my own when there. Soon found out loads of the night cleaners and maintenance staff used to go out on the factory roof and sleep the entire shift up there, even bringng their own sleeping bags in case it got a bit chilly. As a side issue I have avoided their products since then since I remember where the floor sweepings often ended up.

I’ve worked and lived here for 25 years and never had any problems riding anywhere despite the reputation. I do prefer purbeck though. Avon Tyrrell home of the big bike bash has some good tracks but not too long, but could tie in with Holmsley and Burley loops.

When I worked for a charity, we had loads of employees of B & Q, Tradepoint & Screwfix volunteering on work parties. They used to bring their ‘value’ range of tools to use and ‘kindly’ donate afterwards. Needless to say by the end of the day, virtually all were busted and binned. I remember the marketing dept people stating how they couldn’t believe they were selling this shite.

Diet? Coffee / caffeine and msg/food additives made me on edge and full of anger, seemed to get more sensitised with age. All avoided now, much more relaxed, just stay away from Pringles, spawn of the devil those things

You might have to give them a thump to secure in place

Pizza Express a safe bet there in the absence of just about anything else in Basingrad

RRS Licker

To add – one of my kids bought this late 90′ Civic for £400 off gumtree a while back, has never let him down and just passed the MOT again with no advisories, was an old blokes one with FSH and 65k miles. I drive it sometimes and it’s still really tight and goes well for nearly 20 years old. If you want cheap, stick to reliable Jap stuff I reckon.

As above, code reader, I got one off ebay for a tenner and it worked, reset everything. Failing that, for £500 buy an old grandad’s Honda Civic/Accord or Toyota Corolla

I had a 52 reg one last year for a grand as a temp runabout, was faultless but a bit thirsty being petrol. Get loads in it and nice on crap roads where I live. Says a lot that there are still loads of old ones on the road. I’d definitely get another if the need arises , despite the old sensible retired man image etc.

I bought a Merc 250D ex taxi out of the local paper which had 440K miles for £250, ran it for 2 years and put another 25k on it before the exhaust fell off (only thing that went wrong), cost of replacing was more than it was worth. A nice Latvian man bought it off me for £500, loaded it on his transporter which seemed to full of similarly aged German cars. Had a few other newer Mercedes since but none were as reliable as that old 90’s non turbo diesel one.

yep thanks, seat post came out relatively easy so not an issue. I think I agree that external cabling will look crap so now all is fine with it, think I’ll re-sell and put money towards a nice conventional groupset. It’s a really nice quality bike so would be a shame to change it now.

I’ve been sussed out WCA…
Me and friend built the one below (4 by 5m) in a long weekend from a kit from Stable Structures, all straightforward enough:

we insulated the floor and roof as well. I have been told about dubious practices by Dunster House too, preferred to stay local and see what you are actually getting first.

I’ve bought several for my place and for others from Stable Structures: http://www.fencingcentre.co.uk/all-garden-buildings.asp
Near you too – Matt at the Hurn (New Forest) display area worth speaking to and visiting. They have a place in Cadnam too I think but not been there. Most of their stuff is from Estonia I think, been very pleased with their service (and negotiable prices) for both builds where I have done it from a kit (much cheaper) or have got them to do the whole thing.

Prepare for the usual raves & wrath….
I became a sheep and got this T5 Kombi a while ago, it’s a 130 auto, I’m not that attached to it…, prefered the jap vans I previously had to be honest

There was a radio 4 programme on last week about the real life chararcters who inspired the film : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b070hscr

ps – avoid 6 music in the mornings until 10am, and Sunday afternoons: Shaun Keaveney, Guy Garvey, Jarvis Cocker… urghhhhhh

As above, just get a cheap Pure one dab radio and plug into hifi aux input via its headphone out socket. The jack plug to rca leads are really cheap on ebay.

^ predicatable, what I said too but makes no difference

Another vote for a Honda CR-V, I had one last year for a few months as a temporary runabout, nice to drive, notrhing went wrong with it and great on the crap roads around where I live. Loads of space with seats down. Mine was a 2 litre petrol, pretty thirsty though.

Wca

Test drove one last year and found it too small inside for carrying stuff compared to say a Honda CRV which seemed a much nicer drive and far more space for a similar sized outer body, just my impression

Thanks all – will pm you ^

Like others I used it for years and thousands of miles in my old merc and toyota van, never worried about treating it, just filtered and mixed 50:50 with normal diesel. I used to get it free from work but these days I can’t be arsed with all the filtering and diesel being cheaper etc. I’m a convert to that posh v power type diesel now, 10p a litre more but van runs much smoother, nippier and better economy so well worth the difference.

thisisnotaspoon – Bournemouth & Poole College http://www.thecollege.co.uk/courses/basic-introduction-welding-mig-short-course

Thanks for the info.
revs1972 – the course I’m doing is one evening a week for 6 weeks at the local college. Just basic intro to welding, not certificated but you can go on to do this. 6 of us on it, great tutor and plenty of good kit to use in their workshops. I only did some basic stick welding donkeys years ago so would say I’m a novice. Some people on the course had never done it before, but all are keen and getting on well. Some are hobbyists restoring cars, a couple of sculptor/artists too. Been using MIG, TIG and doing oxyacetylene and plasma cutting too and learning all about safety, set up and maintenance of kit. I’ve really enjoyed it and hopefully it will be handy for what I do, just need to get the right machine now…..

Honda xlv750r
Honda Africa twin
Honda nx400 falcon
Because they are Hondas’s etc etc

I have a T5 2009 2.5tdi kombi but with 130 engine, 100k. Not a great fan as it’s cost a lot to maintain compared to previous Jap stuff I have had. The latest issue is a duff exhaust manifold which is apparently going to cost a grand plus to sort out. It goes okay and is practical for my needs, people think it looks cool and all that street cred rubbish but I’m thinking of going back to a late Hiace, never had any issues with them ever. One plus point I guess is that it doesn’t seem to have depreciated at all since I have had it (but offset by the on-going high maintenance costs grrr).

yep, trip to TH in Havant next week for 2nd opinion and go from there

hammyuk – http://www.advancedautorepairsltd.co.uk/ Christchurch
Want to swap it for your Caddy…..