Cancelling was the best thing we ever did. We were on full monty multiroom hd all the bells and whistles…and paying an absolute fortune for it. As a family, we’d been watching less and less, and it wasn’t until you actually sat down and totted it all up that it seemed to be a lot of money for services we weren’t using, although it was the Murdoch factor that did it for me.
Much protesting from family (“We’ll miss it” etc). I’d planned on getting a Humax type thing, but never got round to it.
We have Apple TV (paid for after 2 months Sky subs, with change, if you want to look at it that way) which runs Netflix and BBC iPlayer. We rent or buy the movies we want as and when via iTunes. Don’t miss it and saving a fortune. Do it. You won’t regret it. From what I hear, people are leaving Sky in droves. Rip off merchants who thrive on gullible people like me who pay through the nose for years without pulling out or renegotiating. Genuinely don’t miss it.

You sound like one of life’s good guys to me, TJagain.
I’ve often thought how I’d respond in such a situation. When I was a student, I once had a tap on the door of our city centre student house by a very dishevelled guy (tramp?) asking to use the toilet (he smelled as if it was only to finish a job that he’d already started). My first instinct was suspicion but he looked genuine so I let him in and walked him to the toilet (and waited outside in case his motive was to pinch something). He thanked me and left but it was a lousy night outside and I’ll admit to feeling uneasy at sering him go back out into the rain. Typical student house with friends and friends of friends crashing out all the time. Housemates gave me stick about it because they thought he was casing the joint but nothing further came of it.
I’d certainly buy a hot drink & meal. I wouldn’t let him into the flat but if I was genuinely worried, I’d drop him to local Salvation Army or Wallich. If neither of those an option and extreme situation (frail or extreme weather) then consider B&B, but have passed many homeless people and never done that, I must say.
It’s surprisingly easy to find yourself homeless by all accounts. Probably better in the long term to look at voluntary work for the homeless if you want to make an impact. Good on you, I say.

Settings -> Mail -> Accounts -> select the account affected and choose “delete account”. Then you need to add the account again.
Settings -> Mail -> Accounts -> Add account -> then in my case selecting “other” then filling in your email address and password etc.
Then when account set up, go through that trail to get back to the account then click on “Outgoing mail server” -> SMTP -> make sure the accound has SSL ticked and Server port 465. Host name (for BT) was mail.btinternet.com
Not sure if this just applies to BT or other mail but that’s roughly what I did. Don’t understand any of it but just did what was suggested.
Hope that’s useful

I’ve had it and my wife the same. Can receive email but not send. Only applies to Apple devices in this house (you know, the ones that “just work”
It’s to do with the outbound mail server settings. BT guided me through the fix. Delete the account then add account again. Then checking outbound SMTP (or something) was port 465 and SSL selected. I wasn’t sure if it was an Apple or BT problem but only seemed to affect iPads and iPhones in this house.
Not been a great week for Apple in this house if so.

I wondered about that. Spec alone can be misleading. Thanks Somouk. That’s helpful.

Hmm..refurb old style i7 512 Gb retina MBP for £1600, or a brand new specced up Dell XPS 15″ and a refurb MB Air for travelling for the price of the new one? This is probably the most dumbass question of the day, but I’m going to ask anyway – I like the idea of shared clipboard, iMessages, photos, calls etc between products. I often use iPad then go straight to laptop etc. I’m used to basic video editing and reviewing using Apple and would like to continue. Is it possible to stick MacOS on, say a specced up Dell or is that not possible? I’m guessing not. The screen spec on the top level XPS sounds amazing with rave reviews and it seems only battery life (and that it”s a windows machine if so inclined) that’s against it?

Hmmm…interesting thread. I was expecting to have ordered one by this morning. I’m lucky enough to have a high income and the absolute price isn’t an issue (i.e. I suspect I’m the target audience for Apple). I like their products and a big advocate of buy well buy once. And yet….it’s the significant price differential that gets me. Been looking at the £1600 15″ Dell XPS today and finding it impossible to justify an extra £800 or so on the 15″ MBP, even though I could afford it in absolute terms. I also missed that I can’t connect my iPhone to the new MBP….I mean…come on, this was the sort of integration that endeared me to Apple in the first place. Maybe it comes with the appropriate lead in the box? I usually update my iPhone by connecting to computer since hearing that it was “better” and an earlier model burnt out its WiFi chip or something doing a prolonged update (read it on here, I think. Not sure if it’s true). May have another look at the “old” models but I think I’m out now. Be interesting to see XPS/Zenbook/Surface sales this morning. I know a few people holding out for new MBP – every one told me that the price hike is too much and looking elsewhere or holding on to existing MacBook now. Shame. Will be interesting to see how this pans out.

iPad and iPhone user here and been holding out to buy the new 15″ MBP for a few months. Fully anticipated clicking buy this evening……..but…..the price differential, for me, is just ridiculous when you compare it to an XPS or Zenbook Pro. I use professionally for (lots of) writing and increasing multimedia activity, but will think again about the other two now. I’ve no doubt it’s a great machine, with aftersales to match though.

(Just in case you’re tempted to follow dannyh’s advice, I know a good surgeon who will be able to sew your plums back on)

My Dad and a family friend worked a few miles away at the time. Upon hearing the news they dropped everything, put tools and shovels in the boot and drove to the village to help dig for survivors. They were not alone. They stayed until exhaustion and replacement volunteers (there were plenty) took over. V proud of my Dad for that. Unimaginable sadness for the families, community and all involved. Resonates to this day.
My great grandfather was a survivor of a South Wales pit disaster and mining related tragedy was not uncommon for that generation and it engendered a strong community spirit that, although diluted, still exists in the South Wales Valleys to this day.

I’ve done it both in Nov and in the summer. There’s quite a contrast. The ride in November was one of the most tiring rides I’ve ever done – wet and very “draggy” with getting lost and fading light thrown into the mix. By contrast, a dry ride in June with skylarks and a cuckoo adding to the soundtrack on the Pen y Trumau ascent was one of the best rides ever. Top it off with an overnighter at the Bear Hotel in Crickhowell (v biker friendly), steak & chips and a few real ales with mates and you have the makings of a fantastic day out.
Unless you know where you’re going, I’d leave early to have as much daylight as possible and try to pick a dry spell beforehand.

We’ve got hue lights in the lounge

I’ve no idea what these are, but I have a feeling that they’ve just eclipsed log burners and Gaggias as the next “must have” STW accessory :-)

If you like to let it grow a bit in between cuts, make sure you get a spare set of clippers. Asking the wife to give it the once over to tidy it up at 11pm on a Sunday night (before an important presentation first thing Monday), only for it to die mid cut ain’t funny. Your only option will be to cut the remaining hair with kitchen scissors and the end result is, frankly appalling. It’ll get you the sympathy vote and lots of pitiful stares on the train, but it’s not an experience you’ll enjoy. Apparently.

Issues on 2 devices here. Wife’s battery getting caned and running down faster. She’s knocking off all apps when not using so must be something else in the background. Meanwhile, I’m not able to tap on favourites in phone setting to dial up (nothing happens), so have to go into contacts and via that route. I recall issues a few updates ago with iPad when I upgraded straight away. I think I’ll take heed of others’ advice and not upgrade Apple product updates straight away in future! Oh, nearly forgot. Apple print function on various iPads & iPhones suddenly only working intermittently with one of the printers as well since the update so having to email to PC then print from that! Happy days!!

Nilglass (get it from Lakeland or, now, B&Q as well). I suspect it’s little more than a vinegar solution, but spray on, then use a freshly laundered microfibre (no conditioner) to rub it in, then use a second dry microfibre and rub until it dries to a squeak. Fantastic result but it’s hard to manouvre your arm to rub it comfortably on the front windscreen without pulling a muscle. I’ve never used the Autoglym product, so no idea whether that’s easier, although the results with Nilglass could’t be better IMO.
If you’re ultra pernickety, I’m told that paper contains silica and can leave tiny scratches and swirls over time, which can pick up light and contribute to subtle hazing at night, if you do it a lot (one of the reasons you shouldn’t clean spectacles with tissue apparently). I’ve no idea whether this is true or not but suspect that the scratches on the outer surface would render any internal scratches irrelevant?

1. I’ve written comedy material under a pen name for a national broadcaster, first broadcast to an audience of millions over a several year period.
2. Elvis held me briefly when I was a baby and sang a few bars of a lullaby to me before handing me back to my grandfather. My folks still have the photo on their piano at home.
3. I once disarmed a man who was carrying a shotgun

Great thread. I need to go to Scotland again. That is a fab shot, Bedmaker. That must have been amazing.

I’ve fractured ribs on many occasions. As others have said, coughing, laughing and twisted to get out of bed (from lying flat on your back) were the worst.
However, here’s a tip that has served me well – if you need to cough, wrap a towel (or thick belt) around your chest and then cough. It supports your chest and stops it “flailing” out and is considerably less painful. I’m not talking about prolonged binding of your chest, only for a few seconds. Works well. Although pain pasts months, the first 2 weeks were always the worst for me. Get well soon.

Another daily wearer here, although I have had problems – but not with grit. My eyes start to water on downhill sections, then the lens falls out. It’s happened even at slower pace on a flat bridleway. Optician told about it and selected my lenses to take this into account, but it still happened. I’ve changed to a different brand of dailies (much softer, like a sliver of clingfilm rather than a concave disc of jelly) in the hope that they’ll be better. I’ll let you know how I get on. PS wearing non prescription Oakleys to protect my eyes from the breeze didn’t make any difference.

Thank you, Scamper. I’ve still got the tremor and the nervous tick whenever I hear a distant buzz.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/when-you-spray-a-wasps-nest-how-fast-do-the-little-bs-come-out/page/2

Chris Larkin guitars.
http://www.chrislarkinguitars.com/
And if you’re in NI then no need to catch a ferry either.

PS the Code doesn’t seem to be out yet, hence why I was getting a few opinions first.

Thanks chaps. Been out on bike and just got in (hence delay). Budget is less than £600 but the Marshall Code seems stunningly good value (with the proviso that I haven’t heard it in the flesh yet!). I’m planning on taking my guitar to local dealers and getting a play. Reason I ask, I guess, is that when I was looking for a HiFi many many years ago, I ended up (after doing the various superstores) in the local BADA dealer and completely smashing my budget with a valve amp for the HiFi which, even now, 20+ years later sounds incredible to me and I have a hunch it may be the same with guitar. I was just wondering whether digital modelling amps have come on to be a close match. Code appealed because it seemed to offer a lot for the money (without having to splash out on pedals). Some great advice so far. Much appreciated. Keep it coming.

Thanks deejayen

New TG is like trying to substitute a supergroup with new musicians and no songwriter. Before he started on TG, Jeremy Clarkson’s writing stood out as being special amongst a fairly anodyne crowd. He could introduce humour and write material that appealed to non petrolheads. The interplay between the characters was important too. You have the (increasingly) boorish, opinionated one, then quaint, old fashioned sensible one, followed by the little vain one who was in touch with his feminine side. Whilst they played on this and exaggerated the characters, even though we were in on it, it was entertaining to watch despite an increasingly boring and tired format. Sadly, with new TG, the format stayed and the strong interplay between characters went (little choice – Clarkson’s behaviour couldn’t be condoned). The smart money’s on Rory Reid and Chris Harris, with Eddie Jordan as the wild card if he can be placed in an unfamilar environment and let his guard slip. I’d have picked Harry Metcalfe as the new James May (he may or may not like that analogy!!). It can improve if the commissioning team have the courage to let the less well known ones flourish, but I suspect they’re banking on the familiarity of the big names setting the ball rolling. They can’t go on copying forever – even the Viper piece in Arizona was a blatant copy of a piece by Jesse Crosse an old colleague of Clarkson’s on Performane Car. I don’t think that he was credited with it though.
The new Amazon show has greater promise because you have the magic of the characters to bounce off each other but with, possibly, a newer, fresher format, which what it would have needed eventually even if it were to stay with BBC.

Justinguitar. However, if you’re not an absolute beginner (not that JS’s site is only for beginners) and want to try some accurate tabs of some great guitar songs and riffs taught by a very accomplished guitarist take a look at Shutupandplay on YouTube. He even outlines the effects and amp settings to get it sounding right. Both highly recommended.

Don’t wear a Fez (long story that I won’t delve into now) or a flat cap for more than a few hours in a sunny climate because you end up with a well demarcated line – lardy white above, chestnut below – at ear level, all around the head. Better to wear something with a brim. If you DO wear a Fez for more than a couple of hours, then you can make amends by wearing a buff below the line, bandit style, and gently toast the top to match the bottom. However, this is a very labour intensive way of achieving the same result as going out wearing nothing. You heard it here first.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did. So throw off the bowliness. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
(I very nearly got myself into a mountain rescue situation by following that advice, but it generally holds true)

Following a suggestion from someone on here, we stayed at Hotel Sylvia in Chatillon sur Seine. Hotel was full of character, basic but clean rooms, very friendly and helpful owners, safe off road parking and fabulous home made breakfast. We had a room for 4 and cost less than 100€ total between the 4 of us (ie 25€ each). Small town with a few restaurants. Perfect for a 1 night stopover, especially if on a budget. Gets good reviews (or did when we went).

I’ll second Wadebridge. It!s clean and cheap. There’s a big Tesco across the road if you need any provisions and it’s walkable to Wadebridge town for restaurants and pubs. An added benefit is that you’re close enough to the Camel trail to take a gentle pootle along the estuary to Padstow if time allows. It’s also walkable (if you know the route and take a torch) to the Quarryman Inn, which is a nice country pub with decent food where you’re likely to bump into an 80s popstar at the bar (his gold disc hangs on the wall). However, don’t on any account eat in the attached Falcon pub right next to the Travelodge. They serve absolute dirge mass produced rubbish that they can’t even reheat properly and is a complete waste of time – avoid, avoid, avoid. Way, way better places to eat and drink in town (or at the Quarryman).

Perl las & creamy Snowdonia black bomber for run of the mill enjoyment. But for absolute class, Waitrose sell 3 stunning soft cheeses – Petit Pont L’Eveque, Tuma Dla Paja and a Chaource. Dip some Peter’s Yard crispbread into that and a glass of red and you’re in heaven. I just need to add cup of freshly brewed civet manure coffee and I think I may have typed my most stereotyped STW paragraph ever there……

We’ve stayed in The Bear hotel in Crickhowell several times in the past (mainly because we can’t walk after doing the Mynydd Ddu loop and it’s easy to stay at our chosen start/stop point). Great place to stay, good food and beer, a small selection of other places to eat/drink in the town if you want a wander or a curry. Very genteel. Not as cheap as a bunkhouse though and more of a “treat” for us. Safe lockup for bikes and always been biker friendly to us when we’ve stayed there. About 15-20 min drive from BPW. About 10 mins from the start of the Gap ride too (which you must do if you’re in the vicinity).

Thanks, Onewheelgood. I’ll have to get one of those. Access looks difficult from below, so presumably you remove the boiler unit and do it “outside” of the chassis. Thanks for the tip.

Corned beef pie (again, proper pie as in surrounded by short pastry, not corned beef with a pastry hat). Served cold with a big dollop of Heinz tomato sauce. Heaven on a plate. Next time you visit BPW, drop into Pontypridd and visit the institution that is Princes cafe. Best corned beef pie ever.

I always use the double basket and full fat milk. The red top skimmed stuff doesn’t seem to froth very well at all.
By the way, “In Wales, one is said to be “tamping” when one is livid, annoyed or angry” – Debretts 43rd edition, published 1987. (Every day a school day/as you were etc)

I thought that this was going to be a thread about bad hair transplants

Bigblackshed – I’ve been using a Gaggia Classic for over 10 yrs (by the way, anyone know how to remove a stuck showerhead screw?). I had the same experience as you when I first got it due to using cafetière grind coffee first (numpty) and then grinding my own to such an extent that each particle of coffee was about the size of an electron and the water couldn’t pass through it even with the pump labouring for several minutes at “I’m getting a hernia” levels of pressure. It was solved by getting some preground Lavazza and tamping firmly but not overly hard. Ever since, the coffee’s been as good as any coffee shop (to my uncultured taste buds), although I’ve never tried any of that exotic coffee that’s been through a civet’s backside before arriving in Tescos, so maybe coffee nirvana awaits. I’ve just fitted the Rancillo silva wand and underwhelmed with that. May go back to the plastic Gaggia one.

It may well be nothing but one of the lads who lived in my village was diagnosed with a lymphoma on the basis that he was getting odd symptoms like that with alcohol. Nobody can give you an internet diagnosis but it warrants a visit to a Doctor to get proper advice about that.

Perchypanther – that’s a big fib. Cliff couldn’t give two hoots about walking but he laughs when people over-tighten their bolts and strip the threads. I’ve heard him say many times that it’s so funny why we don’t torque any m………I’ll get my coat.

If you’ve got an Apple device, download the Yoga Studio app. Even better, if you’ve got the latest Apple TV, download the app to that. Playing it on the big screen is the nearest thing to having your own personal yoga tutor in the room with you. Was recommended to me by a professional coach and I can’t recommend it highly enough. For some reason, it seems to be Apple only at present (can’t see why). There are a few on here who also use it. My only advice is not to dip straight into the advanced flexibility lesson in typical “competitive male brain” type way. I did this and tried something called “crouching stool pidgeon” or something and it left me stuck on the floor with my left ankle around my right earlobe and an agonising pain that made me think I’d dislocated my hip. Mrs T didn’t stop laughing for a week after it took 3 people to unknot me and get me back on my feet again.