Scotroutes – nail on head. More than that, she also does it wearing high heels at times and that takes a heck of a lot of skill in my book (not that I’ve tried it). To pivot your foot around a fulcrum which is a few inches above the floor must be really tricky (and to swap between that and normal soled shoes without problem). This is another reason why she hasn’t got on with autos in the past because the pedal’s too big and has got used to driving with two feet (and no, I don’t get that either, but there you go).

Not the most efficient way to drive

Mmm…you say that – and so would I – but she manages a better mpg than me. I’ll admit I like the sound of the engine and like to rev it at times, but on occasions when I’m driving economically, I’m still not averaging her levels. I’ll also say, hands down she’s a better driver than me. This is no criticism of ability (far from it) just a feeling that 246 ain’t right in some way. An auto would probably suit her but she doesn’t like the feeling of gears “running away with themselves” on the open road and don’t get me started on flappy paddles – that’s a whole new thread in itself :-)

could’ve

This is where you’re going to have to take a leap of faith. “Could’ve” and “should’ve” are irrelevant in this context. Try instead a “don’t like to/too many gears/prefer to pull lever back into gear” combo and you’re part way towards understanding why it happens. She, or anyone choosing to do so I guess, drives way smoother in 246 than 123456. I’m still uncomfortable at the thought but if you were sat in the passenger seat with eyes closed, you’d probably not notice anything unusual.

(That reply to Molegrips)

Not very high at all. Rev up in 2nd as normal, shift into 4 and it pulls easily without any protestation in 4th and then into 6th. Seriously, it really doesn’t *seem* to cause any mechanical ill effects when doing it, although I take the point that it *could* be causing problems, hence my original query. I find it a lot more difficult to do that MrsT, who really could be driving Miss Daisy, she’s that smooth.

Some fascinating responses and I am, as ever, in awe at the levels of knowledge on this forum. I’m afraid that curiosity’s got the better of me and I’ve been out and had a go at the 246 thing myself and, actually, although it feels completely wrong, it’s surprisingly easy to do. No juddering, no over-revving, no slipping. I can see how she’s got into it (sort of). In complete contrast, I’ve relayed some of the comments to Mrs T and asked her to try the 135 routine instead to “balance it up a bit”. Jeez. Not an experience I’m in a rush to repeat if I’m honest, not unless we’re entering the gumball rally. Very aggressive indeed and practically undrivable (had a go myself too on a quiet backroad and it’s undrivable). It also seems v notchy going into 135 (1 to 3 especially), and lots of grinding of gears, but slips nicely into 246. No notchiness at all going 123456. Does that make sense?
PS Sweet dreams DezB :-)

PS Not a 4 cyl but very interesting comments about that. Thanks for contributions. Really interesting.

She’s been doing it for years, apparently. Says now so ingrained that pushing stick forward into gear “doesn’t feel right”. She likes to keep a small bag in front of the gear lever, where she can get at her stuff, and says that the 2, 4, 6 routine helps with that as well because there’s more space in front of the gearstick. She has a number of similarities with her Maj (but not the tax evasion!)

Although a bit weird

That was my first thought, but is it, really? It seems to be fairly reasonable if the comments from others (thanks for your contributions) are anything to go by.
The only thing that’s bothering me at the moment is that, since discussing this thread with her, she says that 1st is too fierce anyway and has resorted to “fine tuning it on the starter” on a few occasions manouvering in tight parking spaces, whatever the heck that means!! Not sure I want to dwell on that too much!! Suspect she’s winding me up, but not sure!!
Edit: She’s winding me up about the starter. Doh!

Here’s the rub. She drives more economically than me too and can average up to 5mpg average better than me. Not the best experiment because I’m not always trying to drive economically in that particular car, but still the smoith and gentle 2, 4, 6 approach mostly trumps my ham fisted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 technique.

Thanks Nick & Cougar. Yes, bite point, I mean. By that definition, the clutch isn’t worn (unless there’s some sort of self adjustment that corrects the bite point for wear)

Probably a bad time to ask, but is a worn clutch when you have to push it to the floor to change gear or only push it in a little bit to change gear?

I’ve just double checked and she says that she has *never* used 3rd or 5th and has only used 1st very rarely on the steepest of hillstarts. She reckons it has too many gears anyway and I can’t argue with that. Fair point. Has never burnt out a clutch either and hands down beats me for smooth driving and staying within the speed limit.

That’s a very good question, Glenn. I was wondering similar. Made me question my preconceptions. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not tbh!

No slipping of clutch and unless she drops below 15mph, it seems the journey is mostly completed in 6th. I wouldn’t have believed it unless I saw it but it’s all v impressive.

She goes around corners very smoothly and the car doesn’t protest at all – no chugging, no squealing, no smell of burnt clutch. She told me, tongue in cheek I think, that she’s so used to it by now that “it doesn’t feel right” pushing the lever “into” gear. All v smooth. My only concern is that there could be some sort of uneven 2, 4, 6 cog wear, but I honestly haven’t got a clue from a mechanical point of view

:-)

End of thread. Mods please close

Someone I know keeps his own chickens. They rummage around the hedgerows and eat worms. He has more eggs than he can cope with, so he gives me the surplus.
Those eggs. On toast. Made with homemade bread. Honestly, it’s hard to beat. If I’m ever lucky enough to eat out for a prolonged period (usually on holiday), I get to a point after a few days where I dream of those freshly laid eggs, poached, on toast. A sprinkling of salt. Cannot be beaten.

……..as we are supposed to only use black and I like to be a pita

My new personal hero and example to us all. I salute you, Sir!

When’s the update to fix the orientation bug coming out? Three of us here experiencing iPads/iPhones getting suddenly stuck in landscape when holding in portrait and vice versa. Darned nuisance.

is going to make a fast retreat harder than I am comfortable with to be honest.

Trust me, unless you’re tied to industrial stength bungee cord, stretched to it’s limit from a downstairs anchor point and with the ability to recoil your torso downstairs in milliseconds at the first sight of an emerging wasp, these are wise words.

I’m too darned stupid to think of that, Martin, but my rationale was giving them a soft ride down to the wheelie bin. I didn’t anticipate how fast they’d come out in full attack mode, or that they’d be stuck in the mesh liner of my shorts and repeatedly jab my globes with their venomous little arses at regular intervals as I lay flat in the back of the car, screaming my way to hospital.

Get yourself a Laura Ashley cushion and a palate knife. What’s the worst that could happen?

I bought a Dell XPS 15 with 4k about a year ago after holding out for – and being decidedly underwhelmed by – the new MBP. It’s been absolutely fantastic. I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by W10 too. Although mainly used for lots of editing & typing, I also upload 4k video for pro edit by someone else and basic photo viewing editing. I don’t use it for some of the heavy pro work that others on here (and their views carry more weight than mine tbh), but I absolutely love it for viewing high res photos and as an all round laptop. The only downside for me is that PC video edit software is too complicated for my hamfisted simpleton needs when compared to Apple and that’s more of a negative to me than the hardware. Office 365/OneDrive also work beautifully (for me) but that’s another story.

I’ve tried loads of types in the past, Autoglym, the lot. Meguiars gold class is the best in my experience. The wax gives a lovely finish and easy to apply. If you’re not bothered to much about the quality of finish and prefer long lasting effect, Armorall shield is hard to beat. Finally, remember that wax and polish are two completely different products. You probably know that already but some people use the words synonymously. These are based on my experience but I’m sure that others will suggest equally good products.

It’s happened on two separate, unrelated occasions in our house. On one occasion it was a kettle. On the other, the cooker. The kettle was a tricky one to pin down because it wouldn’t always trip straight away. No electrician involved – we just used a process of elimination as described by others. Did need a service engineer callout for the cooker though (warranty job).

Compton bay at low tide – dinosaur footprints in the rock. Real ones and big. Loads of them. (Also 3 toed footprint casts on the beach about the size of a dustbin lid). You have to wade out about 100yards knee high across a rocky plateau in the sea. If you’re lucky to get there when there’s an NT tour going on, just look for a group of around 20 people gazing down, around 100 yards into the sea, knee high water. Sends a shiver down the spine. The kids will love it.

Brace yourselves.
I took the harp to be serviced last week.
What do I win?
(Before you ask – no, I don’t know what a harp service involves, but it took around 3 hours to complete)

Lived in various parts of Cardiff on and off for 30 years in total. Cardiff is a fantastic place to live. Welsh people are generally friendly and don’t take themselves too seriously. Because of the geography and access in surrounding areas, the Valleys decline (commercially) seems to have been Cardiff’s gain in that you get a big influx of shoppers and commuters from surrounding areas. It’s a fantastic vibrant city (don’t miss the arcades off St Mary St if you’re checking out the city centre). The city centre itself is compact and all walkable.
As others have said, it depends how much you’re spending. My choice would be Pontcanna area. Similar vibe (on a smaller scale) to Clifton in Bristol (artsy laid back bohemian vibe). You can cycle to work via Bute Park quite easily, have easy access to Taff trail and plenty of bars and restaurants to keep you happy plus walkable to town. If you’re checking the area, park up by Cafe Castan and check it out, walk through the park to the castle/town area. Ask the chaps in BikeShed about their Wednesday night ride and you’ll get loads of info about biking in the area. If you follow the footpath along the Taff by Sophia Gardens, you could be in Mid Wales with babbling river, herons etc, yet 5 min walk from town centre. If you have a higher budget, Llandaff is nearby (lovely big houses), lower budget Canton. On street car parking can be tricky in Pontcanna/Canton. If you prioritise mountain biking or M4 access (at the expense of quick access to magic roundabout) take a look along the A4119 corridor – Radyr, Rhydlafar, St Fagans, Creigiau. That road tends to be busier at rush hour but you’re talking 30 mins or so to city centre (10 mins at quiet times). Radyr has train access and quicker access to Taff Trail and A470. Rhydlafar tends to be more out on a limb (no village pub and you mostly have to travel anywhere) but mountain biking practically from the doorstep. Creigiau is more of a country village with a pub and shop/post office, 5 mins from M4 and instant access to woodland trails, Garth mountain and over to Taff trail. Arguably “the wrong end” of the city for quick access to magic roundabout but still not that far by some city standards. Whitchurch is lovely, can be expensive, but a village centre and easy M4/A470 access and mountain biking to Caerphilly mountain. May tick many of your boxes. Don’t discount Cardiff Bay either, if you haven’t got kids. V quick to get to your work, easy access to city and Taff Trail but you’ll be travelling to get to any mountains (unlike Radyr, Rhydlafar/Creigiau/Whitchurch). A curveball could be Gwaelod y Garth. Mountain on your doorstep and straight on to A470 but because it’s tucked under a mountain, it’s like living half the day in the shade without direct sunlight.
Penarth and Dinas Powys are nice places to live, tend be pricier but a ballache to get to by car because they seem to be out on a limb from everywhere else (I worked there for a short while several years ago). You’ll have no mountain riding nearby although commuting to your work would be good if you plan on going by train or bike. Penarth has a sort of faded Victorian seaside charm and a real spread of deprivation on one hand and some of the region’s wealthiest people on the other. Has a lot going for it generally, but less so from an MTB perspective (from the doorstep).
I agree with Molgrips about Pontprennau, although as an STWer has the golden chalice of an Audi dealership nearby. Closer to riding in Rudry too but dare I say a bit soulless? Similar could be said of St Mellons but lots of choice of modern houses, quick M4 access and closish to magic roundabout. Less on a limb than Pontprennau?
The areas people tend to avoid are the student areas (Cathays – noise, car crime and break ins) and Ely and some parts of St Mellons (reputation for trouble). You’ll need a highish budget to buy around Roath Park, Llandaff and Cyncoed. Heath area’s nice and rail links but every time you get in a car, there’ll be lots of traffic (I used to live there and it’s the only part of living there that I don’t miss) compared to the leafy suburbs further afield.
If mountain access a priority Radyr, Rhydlafar, Creigiau, Gwaelod y Garth, Whitchurch, Tongwynlais.
If getting to work quickly Cardiff Bay, Roath Park, Cyncoed, St Mellons.
Combo of above, Pontcanna, Canton.
Commuting-wise, bear in mind that the A470 is rammed at rush hour, so if you’re looking around in the middle of the day on Thursday, don’t think because it’s a dual carriageway it’s always free flowing traffic – it’s not.
Sorry for long post and bits of repetition but hopefully helps to supplement what others have said.
Whatever you choose, Cardiff is great. The people are great, the city’s great and there’s good MTB nearby. Lakes or Cardiff? Another vote for Cardiff here but they’re polar opposites really. More going on in Cardiif and if you’re a rugby fan, then no brainer :-)

I have professional videos edited (and filmed) for me by a team using multiple cameras and separately recorded sound but I recently bought Power Director 15 for my own use in order to string together some very basic single camera talking head shots and separately recorded sound for some preliminary samples and personal projects on a PC. It was an impulse purchase (!) without seeking more knowledgeable advice and I’m finding it quite fiddly and fussy to use. Where I have sound and video on the same recording already (e.g. DSLR with direct external mic input), it’s way faster and more intuitive editing on iPad using iMovie. You can buy an adapter to connect SD card to iPad and it works well (although there are other ways of doing it too if your media’s cloud based). I have lots of scripting and presenting experience but no tech editing, so I guess it’s a question of how complex a task you have (or whether you have the time to learn, which I don’t). For speed and simplicity sake, my vote would go for iMovie on an iPad if it’s basic splicing and titling or YouTube upload you’re after (although I’m sure there are many on here who use iMovie for more complex tasks although I don’t think you can accurately sync separately recorded speech and video in iMovie?). Power Director seems to have lots of features and lots of naff transitions and effects. If you’re not getting into different formats and 3D etc, you probably won’t use 99% of it (I don’t, but my needs are probably very different).

Picked up a Sony RX100 iii today and the photos are truly breathtaking quality and also v good in low light (which is where your iPhone will struggle). Apart from price, the only downside I can think of is the lack of external mic jack (if you’re a vlogger). Definitely pocket sized and very very high quality photos. Now…all I need is an ounce of the talent displayed on the photo thread…….!!

How about this. Overheard in a Cardiff pub a few years ago “Can you make sure that the chicken’s well done because I’m vegetarian”. Said in all seriousness and without any hint of irony. Cue a mass “Wtf” expression on every eavesdropper’s face within earshot.

Check the jacking points. There is a “fold” in the metal running the length of the sill front to back on the underside. The jack has a recess in it that fits into the groove so that it can be jacked up without damaging the fold/seam. However if a careless tyre fitter or garage use a jack directly over the ridge, it folds flat and is a common area for corrosion in this age vehicle, more so than readily visible panelwork. Someone in the trade once told me that and it sticks in my mind. Common rust spot on old Galaxies (and the VW/Seat clones) apparently.

Bullys. Great cooking and a nice intimate atmosphere. Russell’s discrete and attentive service will make it even more special.
Arbennig across the road is ok, but atmosphere can be cold, and depending on what time of day you go, the servive can be abysmally slow. Feels a bit like eating in a corridor at times and if you go during daylight hours, you’ll be glad they stuck frosted cellophane on the windows to detract from the ugly looking street outside. That said, if it’s busy, it can be great and the food easily beats the chains.
Fish at 85 serves fresh fish, but so fresh it’s like being sat in a fishmongers with raw fish on ice next to where you’re eating. The strong smell of fish is not to everyone’s taste (if you know Asthon’s fish counter in the market and the strong fishy smell as you walk past, you’ll get that 100x sat in Fish at 85). As long as you don’t mind that, fine.
Smokehouse is ok for a casual night – craft ales (incl from the excellent Pipes brewery around the corner) and younger clientele, but nothing “special”. The fillings are great but they’re let down by the cheap processed rolls. Chips don’t seem to be freshly cut either and suspect they’re out of a bag/frozen. They also have need for waiting and kitchen staff at the moment and that is sometimes an indication of problems. Good but not “special”.
Potted Pig is great. They also have a sister venue in Llandaf. I’ve not eaten in the Llandaf venue but have eaten in the main St Mary St restaurant many times and it would be high on my list. It’s situated in a basement with no windows (an old bank vault) but works well and the food’s great.
Another suggestion would be The Clink. A curveball that’s way better than you’d expect given the circumstances….
My top 3 would be Bullys, Potted Pig, The Clink.
If you’re venturing out of town, James Sommerin’s place in Penarth setves Michelin starred food but v v expensive. I’ve only eaten there once, but left feeling that whilst it’s v good indeed, it’s just not worth the money (tasting menu & wines to match).
Better still the tasting menu with matching wines at the Hare & Hounds in Aberthin or Market Tavern in Cowbridge (both more pub orientated though), but not in the centre of Cardiff so not really what you’re asking for.
Finally, have a look at Park House restaurant. May be what you’re after too.

Just picking up on this. MrsT has bought a Marshall Code 50 for me and after 24hrs constant playing, I love it. The phone app works well to adjust settings. Sounds great. Only downside is that if you’re playing along to tracks, the music plays better through a different source (eg Sonos) rather than streaming through amp. Sounds great in theory, but sounds garbled in practice and getting music:guitar sound ratio correct takes a lot more fiddling. If you’re looking for a home practice amp, I’d recommend and it’s a steal at the price.

Another shout out for Brewdog Nanny State. Lovely stuff. Nice with a curry too. One of the few that has a pleasant bitterness to it enough without being too sweet. I’ll often drink it even if I don’t need to be alcohol free. Apart from that, I usually go for fizzy water – San Pellegrino if I can get it (ideally cold with ice and a slice of lemon). Erdinger Alkoholfrei comes 3rd for me – a touch too sweet for my taste, but great after a long, hot, dusty midsummer ride (usually take it in a chillbox on ice in the car for us to have after the Gap ride on the hottest of summer days). Really hits the spot. Becks Blue a distant 4th – has an unpleasant aftertaste but passable if nothing alse is available. All of them taste better really cold though.

Another important point about XPS is that because the 15″ screen is “borderless” without a bezel running around the edge, as well as being thin, the size is overall quite small whilst retaining 15″ screen (if that makes sense). It also has a sensible selection of ports, so none of the dongle nonsense alluded to earlier. I can see Mac’s benefit of thunderbolt only in years to come, but for the time being, that would be an irritation and nuisance for me (and added expense). Mine was nearer £600 cheaper than “equivalent” new MBP (that’s before getting 20% discount on Dell and 5% discount on MBP).
That all said, I totally get why the graphics boys earlier use MBPs. Just pointing out my experiences of XPS, Office 365 and W10.

An Apple user who doesn’t need convincing of the benefits here. I held out for the launch of the new MBP, was a little underwhelmed at what was offered, but mainly felt utterly and completely taken for a ride by the price. So I baulked and in a fit of madness took a gamble on a Dell XPS running Windows 10. Wow. Just wow. 512SSD, i7 and a 4k touchscreen. It flies and is a thing of beauty every bit as well made as an MBP in my opinion….no…the gorgeous soft touch carbon fibre palm rest is better (even if it does show fingerprints). Biggest surprise of all is that I love W10 (can’t believe I’m saying this) and Office 365 which integrates beautifully with Word and Powerpoint etc on my iPhone/iPads. All my iPhone photos upload automatically to the W10 photos as they would on a Mac. OneDrive works every bit as well as iCloud. Brilliant laptop, I have to say. No downsides or regrets so far and, whilst an expensive machine, is considerably less than the new MBP (which, lets be honest is priced at a nonsensical premium – my XPS is a work tool as well btw).
If there is a downside, I’d expect it to be Dell’s customer service vs Apple but not had cause to test that out yet.
No regrets here with either XPS, Office 365 or W10….and I never thought I’d be saying that 6 months ago (last vesion of Windows I tried was 7 prior to this)

Been using them (dailies) for a few years. As previously stated, it’s a compromise. Distance and near are both “OK” – at least I can read – but not as clear as glasses. Bizarrely, when I spend time in the south of France, they seem dramatically better. I couldn’t fathom it and wondered if it was due to the drier atmosphere but my Optician feels it’s due to the better light and this seems to make sense. They’re worse on cloudy winter days (or reading with brightness turned down on iPad to a level that wouldn’t cause problems with glasses. Also trail riding, I can’t pick out detail with as much clarity, especially in a sheltered woodland setting (again, probably light related). Overall, I’m not overly impressed, but they’re ok if you hate wearing glasses (or out and about and want to wear non-prescription sunglasses). They can get more blurred if I start producing tears from the breeze on my eyes on the bike, but that’s not unique to variofocals and more of a contact lens thing in general. I spend a lot of time writing and tend to use glasses for that.