I’m with Admiral, I try all the usual comparison sites when my renewal comes in and would add it normally can’t be beaten by much at all. Give Admiral a call and go through the farce of reviewing my details to be told I’m such a loyal customer we can reduce the premium – average of 15% each year, so overall my final premium stays consistent year on year.

I don’t even watch ITV (apart from Family Guy on ITV 2), people at work find that strange – then I list the brain dead stuff – anything with Ant & Dec, Simon Cowell, celebrity this that and something else.

Also, over xmas some of the old Carry on films and the like which were on are well past it, I think it was something like On the Buses and looking up a womens skirt as she went up the stairs

Technically not a shop but the Sunspel and Cheaneys end of line / sample sales when they are held for a few days. Never leave empty handed

and Home Bargains – so damn cheap for toiletries and cleaning products etc.

My brother has a gathering at his house on xmas eve for the majority of their friends and kids so circa 10 kids. One of the dads dresses up as Father Christmas and they all get presents from the other kids in the group – I believe it’s sort of agreed in advance what they will be i.e pyjamas, lego, board game etc. So each kid has already started with 10 presents on xmas eve which I find excessive – I’d add I don’t have any kids.

My nephew has shelves of games which are probably played with once or twice, and now my sister in-law is gradually having a clear out of these games.

Saying that, the average age of the kids is probably around 8 or 9 now, so this will probably be knocked on the head next year or dragged on a few more years for the younger ones.

Some of the South eastern networker trains have stickers on the outside at the end of the carriage saying not to ride here. Think a few years ago kids were clinging on and riding the outside of train, same with buses.

If you’re stupid enough to do this, then so be it, no need for ar5e covering H&S signage.

When i had a Mk 4 golf GTI, the glass was nicked out the passenger door/wing mirror, I did think somehow the mirror which I’d left folded in had been clipped by a passing car and the glass dislodged, but no it was nicked.
A replacement glass is all of £9 on ebay, which I’m sure I cracked fitting so had to purchase a replacement for the replacement.

I could probably list 50 things but

People who finish reading a newspaper on the train and put it under the seat on the floor, or fling it it in the overhead luggage rack – this is despite the fact there’s a bin by the doors as you exit the train.
Why people don’t open train windows pretty much from August through to about mid May, I feel the cold but no harm in a bit of fresh air. Likewise South Eastern Railway who normally have the heating on from September through to mid May…
People who half ar5ed put a seat belt on in the car – just draped over the shoulder
Smoking and vaping strawberry scented chemicals
Chuggers who try and stop you in the street with the hello give me handshake trick
I’ve known people who are genuinely proud they do no exercise and wouldn’t even consider walking up an escalator, they think smoking fags and going to the pub every day is an achievement

A few weeks before I was due to exchange on my current property (ground floor maisonette), an email which had gone round the houses finally reached me via my mortgage broker from the banks surveyor saying he’d changed his mind there was a damp issue possibly affecting the flooring joists and therefore the valuation was reduced, with approx £5K of work required but the mortgage offer still stood.

Anyway, once I had moved in I had a local dampworks company attend, their surveyor took readings for damp and humidity etc and he mocked most of the report for scaremongering and ar5e covering. I had the damp course injected for around £500 with a 20 year guarantee, if anything more as peace of mind and a preventative measure, as I can see a number of other similar properties in the street have had the same works.
When I come to sell the property I am more than willing to show the original surveyors report and all the things I’ve had done to correct or make good.

Only been once, found the constant adjustment of the resistance a right fiddle, maybe I was uncoordinated?

Also the bikes had compatible pedals for Shimano SPDs which was handy

When I bought my car last year the guy in the garage said ‘here, use my PC to do your road tax’, simple really.

Sunspel again – sale just finished unfortunately

Or check out the John Smedley outlet website, some of the patterns are a bit ‘me’h but good quality stuff. John Smedley stuff does turn up in TK Maxx but it’s hit and miss what you find.

What tyres for Morzine
What transfer for Morzine
Any legal experts in the house – I think I’ve been sacked

As mentioned earlier driving on French motorways is a delight, everyone indicating properly, pulling back into the lane once overtaking, not racing along at 110, so much for the UK driver to learn here. And the motorways are so well maintained but that’s a different story.

Yesterday I saw one driver come out the station car park and try to drive the wrong way round a one way system, then she looped round the street parked up and within a few minutes had reversed out of her parking space into a parked car – with the owner sat inside it. That’s 2 incidents from one driver in a matter of minutes

We need a signed doctors form for the Mega.

Initially the doctors receptionist said we can sign it for £15, then they said you need to see the doc, as how can he sign off that your fit and healthy. He took my blood pressure, checked my breathing, prodded my belly and that was it.

Then 2 weeks later said they’d lost the form so they waived the fee due to the delays.

deleted – i went off on a tangent about umbrella companies

I once had some tyres in the garage and one ended up becoming misshaped due to the way it was leaning against a wall and probably something else against it, it just has a wobble it in that couldn’t be removed.
This weekend I created a wooden rack to store a set of tyres in, that’s hung off the internal wall of the shed to free up floor space and keep them in shape (i hope).

Unless I’m wearing a compression top as a base layer in the winter I always have 3M medical tape on my nips to stop chaffing when running.

Scottish Power have been the worst company I’ve ever dealt with in my life.

A company called Lowri Beck took 2 months with a total of 5 appointments, 3 of which were cancelled over to swap my meters over. Once my meters were swapped at the end of November last year, Scottish Power still have me on the wrong contract, claim the gas meter wasn’t even swapped over – I sent photos of it with the install date sticker on the front, and they changed my direct debit plan for no reason whatsoever.

Any complaints go to India where they just email you back a summary of your complaint in parrot fashion and say they are looking into it. I’ve given them till Friday until I go to Ofgem to sort this out, I am so glad my contract expires next month.

My current annoyance with the app is the tracking feature when I’ve posted something.

I send all items via Royal Mail 2nd class recorded and input the tracking number for the buyer to use. If you do this on a phone and click on the tracking number it then just puts that in as a google search i.e GB 12345678 QW, not linking it the Royal Mail- absolutely pointless.

Paypal seems to change its settings as it wants, sometimes direct from my account, other times my back up card.

Also if you try to leave phone numbers or email addresses in the messages they get blocked, so you have to break the numbers or detail down.

I recently sold a bike and had the usual nonsense – how much will you take as a bottom price, actually it’s for my dad/brother/uncle etc and I only have a £300 budget, I get paid tomorrrow and live locally so can collect it – then half hour later, oh sorry I’ve now bought my mates bike.
and despite listing a full description you may as well have left it blank for the stupid questions that get asked

Also, nobody seems to bother with feedback anymore other than retail sellers.

I’ve used these guys for my vintage Heuer and Tudor both of which another nearby vintage watch specialists CBA to even quote me on servicing, the Heuer chronograph is apparently very time consuming to take apart and clean.

They are authorised Omega repairers, based across the road from Hatton Garden

http://www.wtcwatchrepairers.co.uk/about-us/4045498

As usual my trying to fix one problem created another….I opened up the drill and there was nothing obvious blocking the lever to stop it having the full range of motion as it was pretty clean inside.  I got the keyless chuck button and spring out to get better access now can’t get them back in.

I will give it another go when I am not meant to be ‘working from home’.

Same as Christmas jumpers, why would I waste my money on an awful thing like that?

As mentioned above by Milky 1980, we drove back from Morzine last month on lovely smooth motorways, no hold ups, everyone overtakes then goes back into the inside lane, driving at sensible speeds etc.

Get off the Eurotunnel back to the UK, the motorway is strewn with rubbish for mile upon mile, everyone driving like a d1ck, glad to be back?  Not really

What appeared to be a fresh roe deer pelt folded up in the middle of a path.  I took a picture but then thought well who the hell would I report this to?  No carcass or blood anywhere

I once had a guy who turned up about 2 hours late, claimed he knocked himself out hitting his head on the bathroom cabinet.

The first time i rode in the Alps on a 100mm xc bike i had standard pads in my brakes and my disks were rainbow coloured by the end of the week, in hindsight i should’ve fitted the sintered ‘spare’ pads I’d been carrying round in my camelbak….

I’ve now chopped and changed bikes a few times since then, so after my 2015 trip had better brakes fitted and the spacer taken out my forks and this year finally get to use a dropper post – i was always adamant id never need one.

Going back to Morzine for my 4th time this year, did the PDS in 2015 & 2016, it’s a long day out so even with a group factor in some slower riders, mechanicals and by 4pm your probably shattered. Use the food stops to top up your energy – the Milka chocolate never went to waste, ensure you have some gels and enough fluids for the day. As mentioned above, a jacket to wear on the chairlift just for a bit of drizzle as the weather and temperature can change quickly from valley to valley

I think by the time we got to Les Lindarettes the lifts were near closing so we came back via the road down past the lake and into Morzine. Some parts of the PDS do go on a bit, and when going back up on the chairlift you see a shortcut to have saved a lot of time and mileage.
Saying I find the mountains so quiet and relaxing with wonderful scenery.

Also remember to pack things like chamois butter – a must!, sun cream, gear cables, cutters etc. – or make sure between the group you have enough ‘common spares’ so your own camelback doesn’t weigh 10kg with a spare ‘everything’. I’d recommend a quick bolt check at the end of the day as the bike can get a good shakedown during the day.

Thanks all for your help!

I started running in 2013 with an average parkrun of 23 minutes and chipped away at those times peaking at 19.01 when I was training for the Bournemouth marathon in 2015. Although I was doing a lot of races over 2013-2015 and improved a lot.

Ongoing niggles with hamstring/glutes and a bit of laziness plus half a stone extra my best parkrun is now stuck at 21 minutes for the past 2 years.
The greatest improvement I see with people in my running club is those who do the track sessions

From my current testing..

Coop – very average, mini ones nothing to them at all
Coop with flaky pastry – not bad. And to upset the masses what is the difference between this and an Eccles cake, same thing in my opinion
Sainsburys – very average
Aldi specially selected with cognac – good
Iceland – best so far

I had a £1200 PPI payout this year, and after looking at the breakdown believe that (next tax year) you can claim back the UK withholding tax which was deducted.

Sunglasses Shop – Quidco paid out really quick as well

I had a Blur Classic about 5 years ago, the LBS shop got a full bearing pack for it via Jungle Products, and fitted it before I broke something else – over tightening bolts etc.

I had a replacement RP23.

Was a good fast little chuck around bike.

Leading a night ride I called out to watch for the stump on the right which has caught out a few riders, 2 seconds later I clip the said stump at very low speed and I’m on the floor and my left forearm/wrist were killing me.

Went to A&E first thing the next morning as I couldn’t extend my arm fully, and it was x-rayed and told I had a radial fracture, nothing we can do so put your arm in a sling for a few days, get it moving as soon as possible and come back to the fracture clinic in about 10 days.

When I went to the fracture clinic the doctor had reviewed my xrays and said there was no fracture just soft tissue damage, my range of movement wasn’t great but said it should get back to normal. My wrist was still sore which they x-rayed and said it was just soft tissue damage as well. If anything the handlebar in the ribs was more painful and should’ve got that checked but never mind.
I was given the OK to drive if I felt I could control the car properly, given the OK to start running but maybe give it a bit longer till I’m back on the bike.

Needless to say everyone at work and in the bike club was amazed at my miraculous recovery from a fractured arm….

We have the radio on at work, and a song played hourly by James Arthur makes me want to jump in front of a bus

I had a dent in my rear door caused by a dustbin lid flying across the garden in high winds.

I got 3 quotes and all said the whole side of the card would need resprayed so it blended in – average price £280 – 300, this include the dent knocking out & filling

[/quote]
DrJ – Member

Any recommendations for a place to service a Rolex in That London Town? It’s probably 40 years old and loses a couple of minutes a day
Posted 6 hours ago # Report-Post

Try this place, they are the Clerkenwell end of Hatton Garden. I have a Tudor that’s a bit older than your Rolex and now runs perfectly after a service (to my knowledge the 1st service it had ever had)

http://www.wtcwatchrepairers.co.uk/home/4045497

I’ve used this place in London, I’m sure they are authorised Omega service as well

As a guideline my vintage Heuer chronograph was £240 for a service, works perfectly now

http://www.wtcwatchrepairers.co.uk/home/4045497

We have 2 boxes open at work so tested the Coop and Iceland version back to back, Iceland’s were a bit better – more content and thinner pastry.

However the Coop puff pastry ones we had here the other week were my favourite so far