Get a SWB Toyota Hiace D4D and you’ll have none of these issues & a bit more space

well I got the Denon one with Dali speakers from Richer Sounds at the weekend for £289 package deal, they did a tenner off for signing up on line for the newsletter and chucked in some decent cables. It sounds really great on DAB and off iphone/pad but not so good for cd’s for some reason. I had to get a better DAB aerial off ebay as the piece of thin wire supplied was crap, fine now. And, my old system is still in the family, so everyone happy. Thanks for tips.

Any Bill Bryson book. I have just finished All Hell Let Loose by Max Hastings, really good different view of WW2. Okay not sport or fiction but worth it.

Get the Human League in to advise you

We have used http://www.cyclescheme.co.uk for quite a few years, we have never had anyone wanting to hand a bike back – probably as I know we could could charge something officially to hand over ownership based on value but we never have, we just sign over to the employee as a kind of incentive/bonus and they get to keep it – I’m not 100% if this is what we should be doing though. The scheme isn’t as good these days since you don’t get the VAT saving like you used to when originally set up, if you have the cash you can often get a better deal from discounts advertised on-line or by lbs (usually last years stock) but it is handy if you don’t have the cash and want to spread repayment.

trip to Richers at weekend to listen they have the denon M39 and marantz 610 with speaker package deals, the dali zensors or Q acoustics 2020i which all seem to get really good reviews

A few differences in opinions to be expected but I do want something smaller/easy to use so will go and look and try some of the Denon/Marantz units coupled to decent speakers or one of those sound box things recommended. We have the usual high street places around here plus a Richer Sounds and a specialist hi-fi place to check out but considering my hearing isn’t that good anyway, I imagine I won’t be able tell a huge amount of difference in quality for some.
Surprised by DAB comments, I do like it for 6 Music, 5 live, radio 4 etc on kitchen/van/shed radios but I do also listen to stuff on line at work like ‘music machine 2’ which seems pretty good.

Yes I guess priorities have changed over time, happy for son to have it all as I know he’ll use and appreciate it more than I ever do these days plus he and mates seem to think old proper hi fi and vinyl is cool. I guess I want more convenience & simplicity, something that takes up less space but still an alright sound. That said I think my hearing is crap anyway from years of working in noisy work environments – a mate has some very poncey Linn system which he never admits how much it all costs but I suspect well in to 5 figures, it does sound good but not that good to me over my old technics stuff which cost peanuts compared to that.

The speakers aren’t KEF, they were my old ones, just looked they are Gales I got from Richer sounds years ago, good sound though. I still have a lot of cd’s inc. some really good compilations I get sent regularly from brother regularly who is really into his music. Still having second thoughts but that Marantz 610 seems tick a lot of the boxes, be good to go out and actually try one first

We have 3 T5’s at work, had a lot of problems and trips to the garage, warranty repairs etc but that could be because they have several drivers who hammer them. I swapped to jap stuff like Toyota Hiace’s a few years ago for this sort of family, bikes, camping, tip, transport stuff. Never seem to go wrong. Usually ex disabled minibus ones that already have windows and removable seats – would not go back to VW’s now although of course kids/mrs all think T5’s are cooler looking but I refuse to be a sheep. A friend just got a Hyundai iload Kombi, pretty rare on the roads but long warranty and drives really nice.

after a bit of editing to the original letter and sending I actually got a reply from the CEO (well their PA), though only to say they’d investigate and see what has gone on, and then get back to me asap…..and I have only had 1 such call this week, and they put the phone down on me when I started speaking Welsh.

something you could actually kip in, take bikes, won’t break down and hold it’s value e.g. old Toyota Hiace

Go bigger, Toyota Hiace won’t let you down, disabled minibus ones are handy for removable extra seats, or if you are a sheep and have deep pockets get a VW T5

1970’s alloy bottle cage (do I win?) on main bike I use, frame is an early 90’s Diamondback True Temper Lite, still going strong and yet to bend/break

Lots of egrets by us, never used to see them pre-2000, must be all those people with greenhouses causing it. Ditto humbingbird moths. Went to Aylesbury a few weeks ago and saw loads of red kites. We had a gennet living wild in nearby woods for a few years in the 90’s, would love to see again but suspect long since dead. Our tawny owls haven’t come back this year yet and haven’t seen hedgehogs for about 5 years.

cookies

I like Bill Bryson’s use of language though but he’s an honoury Brit now. He does make the point that a lot of the American language is old English with the way it is written and said

I like Saabs, had several, I buy cheap and run them for a year or so before off-loading. Used to get trim breakages, heater problems and pixilated screens on the latter noughties ones I had. My favourite ever one was an early 80’s 900 turbo auto I had as student, most fast comfortable car for runs between Wales/London. I like the look of the last 9-5’s they made, might try and get one

sold now

trader has offered £800 as is with clutch going, sounds okay, unless anyone else wants it for a tad more before he collects on Monday…

we did it in 2012 in our kombi van, mainly stayed in youth hostels, up the west coast / islands, into the highlands, across the top Cape Wrath to John o’Groats and back via Edinburgh. Great trip, mixture of beautiful scenery, extreme tackiness (e.g. Loch Ness touristy things) and bloody midges in the evenings making it impossible to go out for more than 5 minutes unless you are covered in agent orange, DDT, those hat net things etc. I was very impressed by that canal that cuts across the middle

Big Bike Bash in the New Forest on the August bank holiday weekend, all types of bikes and riders welcome, organise a tandem event for it, they’ll love it

anything that doesn’t have Shaun Keavney on

New Forest, between Bournemouth and Southampton

2003/53 black polo 5 dr 1.2s with towbar air con dab cd radio 91K years MOT tax about to expire, past ones seem to go for about £1500 privately, trade in £900-1000, with this issue, who knows

yep think I’ll just list it with the problem and take what we can get for it, doesn’t seem to make sense spending another £300 + on it at a garage, the on-line prices for clutch kits seem to be about £50 so I’m sure someone competent will do it themselves, cheers

Toyota Hilux

ditto, get a Stihl

Get a Toyota Hiace and have no worries

I think the charity UK Youth is particularly good and well run with fantastic dedicated staff, and it even hosts the Big Bike Bash every August, with all profits being spent directly on facilities and activities for children and young people. I think they deserve a lot of support for the work they do and difference they make to the lives of thousands of young people etc etc

hammerite/smoothrite? or that boat paint, Toplac I think it’s called

Gave up on the VW and Merc cars and vans I use to drive a few years ago, fed up with things going wrong and the costs, and switched to Toyota, totally reliable and no regrets, never go wrong. Motorbikes – only ever buy Honda for the same reason

Domaines Des Ormes and St.Cast sites are brilliant, both near St.Malo and Dinan, former particularly good if you have kids. We use Canvas holidays there for last minute cheap deals, past 3 years, use Portsmouth/Poole Cherbourg fast crossing. Spend 5 days at each and you’ll have a great time, cheers

can’t stand him either, radio 4 till 10am, safe after that

I really noticed the difference by the second tankful, I guess it takes a while to help clean system

Ribble or Dolan ally frameset with carbon forks can be had for quite a bit less than £200, I know some people are snobby about them but I’ve never had any problems

backinireland – when I had an old VW T4 van I heard too from other owners about using 2 stroke oil in diesel to help/improve running though I never tried it

hate to admit it but I don’t really worry too much about economy, having a smoother quicker van is worth the 4p difference to me, particularly if I can now overtake the hoardes of slow moving Honda Jazz’s where I live

Been on a long drive today and I’m not imagining it, van definitely picks up quicker and runs smoother on it, I’m now a convert

julzm – what’s best to look / ask for in an independant financial adviser e.g. qualifications, membership of professional body etc. Seen a few advisors over the years and always got the impression they are steering you towards what might get them the most commission, maybe that’s to be expected.
I’ve got 24 years on a private pension and 12 on a work one (with their contributions), the annual statements look okay to me and what I kind of expect but still wouldn’t mind getting an objective view and whther might be better having all in one pot.

We’ve used this company for quite a few years for cars and vans with good service (and prices) and no problems when handing back (even with usual scrapes):
http://www.dsgauto.com/ Bloke called Phil Kehoe was the contact
cheers