Enlightening stuff, thanks. As always, local knowledge puts a different spin on the ‘facts’ reported in the meeja. Haven’t really seen much ‘hand-wringing’ going on – just a desire to understand the thought processes involved.

I’ve spent a fair bit of time yomping solo around that part of the world through a branch of my work and understand it can be hard going at the best of times. I was initially surprised that a fit young family would decide not to walk out three miles but I do see the wisdom of making the call now, given the new info.

True, but why? Why not just walk three miles? Why involve anyone else at that stage? My four year old walks up and down mountains, albeit quite slowly…

Loving that Casio VL Tone – had one when I was a nipper and now I have the demo earworming me…

I do actually have a leather bound cosh with a wrist strap somewhere. Bought it after a bunch of yoofs tried to nick my camera bag on Blast Beach in Seaham years ago when I first started uni. Couldn’t afford to insure my kit and the cosh was only a tenner :-D

Has a huge lump of lead at its head – pretty sure I could never bring myself to swing it in anger these days.

Because I’m a Facebook whore, I get all the free trial ads and have tried most of them.

Much to my surprise, I’ve ended up going with Wilkinson Sword – best shave out of the lot. Have cancelled the subs though because one blade is lasting me about three weeks!

Came with a tube of Bulldog moisturiser which smells Luvverly.

Recurve bow and hunting arrows in the bedroom wardrobe. Just pointing it at someone would likely provoke the same reaction as a rubber band at full stretch :-D

My grandmother had a rounders bat under her bed, she said it was ‘in case of snakes’

Trouser snakes?

“My tray skidded from my fingers and fell on the floor. My orange jelly mixed with broken glass on this day when I bought a glass of milk to have with my Chelsea bun. They told me I was clumsy and asked why did I do it. And at times in my heart there is a music that plays for me. Tuneless threnody. They called me names. I was so afraid of them. And they could never look inside me and see a whole world of tenderness or leave me alone because I was so sad and suffering. Why did you do it. And hearts. And why was love so round. Tram swaying down the flat street. Squealing and stopping. Sitting all the way and dreaming. Even passing 1 Mohammed. Perhaps I was a bastard to lay foul the pipes again. Make her know she needs me. And I need that money. Out in Dalkey I’ll be all alone. No fear of meeting anyone. He arrived in the main street. Twisted with people. Into a public house. Two lovely, laughing girls behind the bar. ‘Good day, sir.’‘Double Gold Label, please.’She reached under the bar. Always hiding the stuff. Damn girl with her gold, cheap bracelets, earrings, damn pair of gold tits, squirting out money”.

Just watched it now. One in four adults in that town are addicted?! Mass insanity. Interesting to hear how the problem (may have) started – heavy industry and doctors handing out opiates like aspirin for industrial injuries.

Because I’ve long since burnt my bridges on here, I don’t mind admitting that I used to move in similar circles – for almost a decade – so wasn’t particularly shocked or upset by the content, but I’m astounded by the wholesale addiction of an entire town.

I’ve had this a few times tonight. Suddenly find myself on a shares dealing page.

Another one with family who used to live there (now in Singers). Only visited once but Penang is outstanding as is KL but the Cameron Highlands were literally a breath of fresh air after the claustrophobic, frantic pace of KL. Especially recommended if you like a nice cup of tea!

Made by a French girl I was at uni with – she’s a farmer’s daughter herself. It’s a cracking bit of documentary filming. And yes, I did snog her on a ferry to Amsterdam, which makes me a bit famous too.

When I was about eight, I threw a letter in a bottle into our local river claiming I’d been kidnapped and giving my home address. Two weeks later, a woman and two kids turned up, closely followed by a cop car.

No more letters in bottles for me (or pudding for a few weeks).

Four in my left ear but slowly lost three of them over the years. Didn’t wear anything for a few years but started again about three years ago – just one subtle black and silver ring.

If s/he goes through her GP it’s free for most places in the UK so far as I know. I had a dozen sessions which cost nothing with a therapist who seemed to know her beans. In fact, the GP told me I could have just self-referred which might have saved some time but when the referral comes through a GP, I suspect it carries a bit more weight.

The Oyster Shed in Carbost, Skye, is just incredibly cheap. Lobsters, oysters, all manner of other seafood caught locally. Couldn’t be fresher.

The word has got out now, so it’s a good idea to arrive early… Oh, and you have to eat al-fresco, albeit with a roof of sorts.

Something from army surplus? I have a massive greatcoat – Swiss civvie defence force I think. New old stock, super-dense pure wool, warm as toast when waiting around with a camera and was about £30 posted.

Another vote for Dogs Trust. They tale the whole thing very seriously – matching the dog to you / your lifestyle and carrying out a home visit.

Dogs are neutered / spayed and chipped. We didn’t get the dog we wanted – we got a nervous wreck who refused to be walked more than 50 yards from the kennel on the practice walks.

After a few months of love and attention, he turned into the best dog in the world. He was only about four months old so it was easy enough to ‘retune’ his doggy brain.

It’s important to pay attention to your feelings – I know us men aren’t really allowed to, and certainly not allowed to say it, but it is.

It doesn’t mean you gave to stop doing whatever it is you do – a sideways step can make the world of difference – did for me. Stress gone (income admittedly slightly depleted).

And if you haven’t read this recently, do so. Sobering stuff….

https://g.co/kgs/w4qCiR

Raymond Briggs’ When the Wind Blows.

I don’t think there’s any escape from radiation unless you have an up to date fallout shelter.

Better to hope you go swiftly through smoke inhalation or blast damage!

i only really have myself and the spiders in the workshop for company

Aye. The spiders in my garage just get sworn at – my problem, not theirs so I almost feel bad about it. They are *massive* though (Cave Spiders I think) and just love running up your arms and legs.

Apologies if this this is the same link posted earlier – I couldn’t open it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-38827661

Listened to a prog on R4 earlier in the year and was astounded that the practice is legal.

On a par with the developers who make a deal with broadband providers, leaving first time buyers stuck with shite broadband. Also legal, also shoddy.

If you constantly expose yourself to horrific stuff, it’ll invade your life. Have left a few FB groups after realising what a negative effect they were having (and they were only horror film groups!).

I usually really enjoy it but always feel like an interloper when I listen to it :-D

Good to hear I haven’t turned into a character on a R4 show. Or a paperclip. Probably.

deciding to buy dentastix for a dog you’ve invented. That’s weird.

People are weird. I know I am but not quite odd enough to invent a dog!

Thank God for the everyday stoicism of dogs!

Probably depends whether you have a dog or not

I do but even if I’m upstairs and he’s downstairs, I still do it.

Might as well face the oncoming storm of dementia, old age and infirmity.

This time of year always makes the prospect more acceptable though – when the outdoors is as lovely as it currently is, it really doesn’t matter that you forgot why you went into the garage.

Tricky one. Any chance of her being allowed upstairs to sleep with you? At least it would give you a cast iron guarantee of a decent sleep.

After a decade of forcing our dog to sleep downstairs I’ve finally relented and he sleeps on the upstairs landing. It’s just easier.

Ah crap. Started a retune of the freeview box to try and find channel 81 and the whole thing has shut down. Best get a decent book out for tonight then.

My dad has a small fleet of vintage cars / trucks. By modern standards, the whole lot are unsafe and certainly more dangerous than a bicycle, even if it had 16 brakes.

But if he were to run someone over in the conditions described over the last 28 pages, I seriously doubt he’d even lose his license.

Went to Asda a few years ago, visited the cash machine and found a big bundle of notes sticking out of it.

Took it to the customer service desk and the shifty looking staff member basically stuck it on a shelf – seemed obvious she was going to keep it. Spoke to a manager after doing the shopping and insisted on putting the incident into the day book.

The mean part of me hopes she got fired…

but she’s 12 years old and in heart failure so we don’t think that’s an option.

Copying and pasting stuff when your eyes are hurting a bit is hard work.

I’m sure you gave her a great life and moreover a fantastic quality of life.

Contracts not written in blood aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. Unless you’re willing to end up in court. And then pay with more blood.

If he’s a good mate, just go for it on a handshake, a clear understanding and a bit of eye contact.

dental work is very likely excluded from the insurance.

Well, that’s the worry. In the middle of moving house, had to close the business, child care costs etc.

And the insurance company won’t answer the phone.

Lurchers are many things but brave aint one!!!

It’s subjective though – he’s fought off attacks from big dogs and chased badger-diggers out of the woods on the night time walk but as soon as he smells the vet’s clinic it’s game over.

EDIT: by badger diggers I mean a team of young lads digging up a sett in the middle of the night. Saw off their terriers too.

I used to do door to door sales for a large provider. One of those annoying beggars who turn up at teatime and ask you if you’d like to save money on your bills.

The training was an eye opener – a didactic script which had to be followed to the letter. You basically pretended to be a gas man, then followed up as if you were helping the homeowner by saving them money.

Most of the time, we really were saving them money but it didn’t feel right.

Thank the Lord for uswitch et al.

Cheers guys. Nice to know he might still be with me at the age of 17! I do trust the vet but worried about the procedure.

He’s also a rescue and panics every time he’s taken to the vet. I can take him straight to the surgery (rather than the local vet’s place) and pick him up on the same day which might ease the anxiety a bit…

Of course I don’t want him to suffer – he’s my best mate but there are other options – antibiotics to treat infection or perhaps a lifelong regime of pills.

Just looking for opinions.

Never again

Pretty much this. Give your poor old body a bit of recovery time or you’ll end up an arthritic mess like me!

Far better to sacrifice a wee bit of outdoors time now so you can enjoy lots if it in yer dotage!

Fell out of a tree many years ago and landed on a rock. The cracked ribs were painful but it’s the torn intercostal muscles which seem to cause the most pain and take the longest to heal.

I was “lucky” because I also broke my wrist so cycling was out of the question. Still played a gig the next night though :-)

We are not born into this world believing in a god

.

There’s some fascinating fiction on this subject. Children isolated from the world to see if they have an innate knowledge of God.

Jill Patton Walsh’s Knowledge of Angels is a tough read but a good start. I’d also (once again) recommend CS Lewis’ books – the ones that don’t have lions.