Well you know its the fact they would come for two….

I did start to suggest she say that she had an injured bird and when they arrived say that unfortunatley it had died after the call but I thought better of that and just told her to sling it in a hedge.

Londoners aren't so friendly it seems.

ianpinder – around £100/week for accom? Wow. OK so the loan isn't enough and I think there's no excuse for that, I blame Labour…. It is possible to get additional loans from banks I think – a few grand a year?

I started as a student in '89 so I saw the introduction of the loans and grants were still pretty good though was told by older people at the time they were far better in the 70s. I managed OK without them but did work in the summer; actually I did take the loans but never needed them so just took the interest.

I was expected to have one when starting a job in 1998 but no-one made me and I didn't get one until 2001 when it became obvious it really made life difficult – I work at client sites and colleagues/clients need to contact me.

I used to have a PAYG one which I rarely used but then got a company one and just use that as I rarely make calls – a few texts/short calls usually. It looks to me now that PAYG top-ups expire after a month that wasn't the case with my deal a few years ago so you pretty much have to spend £10 a month I think?

Students – can they cover everything with the student loan or is it assumed/expected parents help out too?

I have a BBB one which has a test results sheet with it – though I suppose over time it's accuracy will diminish. I had a snapped bolt on my bike which resulted in a £150 item having to be replaced which was done under warranty. Please I could say it was fitted with a torque wrench.

Well that's the US for you.

Think I'll start watching Coronation Street.

I did 90m on the road around the Surrey Hills inc the CTC ride from Shere today – I smiled at many people but there are a lot of cyclists out so am sure I missed a few….

My bro spent £1k on calls to his gf whilst away in SA a couple of decades ago; they split up on his return. I'd have sent a few postcards….

I suppose he thinks people who are interested know all about it – need more info still though.

7 days is fine – have you sent the payment request thingy?

I'm curious what the yolk looks like – post a pic? Over boiling the yolks destroys some of the protein – a perfectly cooked yolk will have no greyness to it.

Massey

I didn't give my wife anything – she likes the baby so she's happy.

U31 – I think you had good reason to pull out; I suspect Ebay might not support psychle (tensim?) in the same way.

I just lost my job a few months ago after 16 years, basic story was sign a new contract or have your existing one terminated.

How does that work then? You can be sacked like this?

A mattress on the floor is probably more appropriate for them.

I think you're stuffed – but ask your solicitor!

reatment you get through Bupa is far better than NHS.

Don't let TJ hear you say that….

Not sure Bupa will treat you for pre-existing conditions?

untethered children

Is there not a sign asking for children to be tethered?

Congratulations – you just invented Gosplan.

Yeah but it's not really the same thing now is it?

How did you prove it's your bike?

I once broke a bed which surprised me – a pine double; I did kinda drop down onto it from a bit higher than I expected though….

Isn't it the points that's the main punishment – here anyway?

Rio, you must look a bit, er, special.

IMO the scheme should be changed so that hire of the bike is over 3 years and bike deemed to be worth a nominal amount after that time.

Tesco ones seem quite good – option to use your own bags.

And prey tell how a union stops employers from recruiting from teh unemployed at minimum wage?

Don't the unions influence pay bands?

Maybe there shouldn't be unions, maybe there should be an independent central body that agrees these things when they're disputed – kinda like ACAS but you let them decide the outcome based on suggestions from the interested parties.

Under Swiss law, the level of fine is determined by the wealth of the driver and the speed recorded.

Depends on how it is calculated – there needs to be a minimum.

What sort of MPG to large MPVs like these give?

I would never ask for a pay rise just because my company was doing well; I would ask for it only if I could show that I was being less than I thought another company would pay me – probably based on approaches from agents. But then again I'm far more interested in job satisfaction than pay so my opinion is irrelevant.

TJ – well it is a free market and logically if wages fall to their market level then more employment will come along to use it – more jobs become viable. Trouble with that is things are distorted by the minimum wage and the benefits system so the free market rate is never hit at the bottom end so unemployment will always exist as there's a minimum people will accept.

The difference between having representation and not. Why aren't you banging on the door for a pay rise? That's right, you don't have a union.

Maybe he accepts market rate?

However, Unite said staff deserve financial recognition for coming so close.

That is flippin' ridiculous.

When you by a car there's a chance something will go wrong at sometime in the future which is reflected in the price. I bought a car from my brother after getting several dealers to make an offer and I gave him the best price he could get and assumed all responsibility for it after that.

So you owe him nothing and he's a twunt for even asking – however there are some people like that; always looking for someone else to take responsibility.

tiger – you get the point. Ta

Well I do but unfortunately I'm not completely sympathetic – not when it comes to pay rises in economic bad times anyway.

Unions have a very important function in preventing employer abuse.

Trouble is there does seem to be a them'n'us culture in some companies rather than one where employees discuss and try to agree. I wouldn't want to work in a company where there are 2 sides in the same organization looking to fight each other – aren't we all in the same team really?

I suppose the problem is that low-skilled people are easily replaced and so they don't have much power unless they gang up against the management to get what they want. So glad I'm not part of all that really.

They balloted 100%, 40+% responded. There's a big difference.

Yeah most people abstained – not sure what that means really; maybe not too bothered?