Try and get an independent surveyor out, one that is not connected to any “damp” company. They are about.

There is a lot of nonsense and dodgy dealings when it comes to damp and houses. I’ve had a few problems over the years with timber and damp surveyors.

Some info here Fraud of rising damp

Roast Rib of Angus Beef and plenty of Malbec.

Not the most romantic of meals but is her favorite and possibly mine.

Why waste money on eating out when we can indulge ourselves for less than £50?

Every relevant scrap of evidence that exists has to be taken into account, again following a process designed to be completely transparent and as unbiased as possible

That process is almost completely undone by your later statement.

*not the same thing as completely unbiased due to the legion of problems with the way clinical evidence is gathered and reported. I’m well aware of that.

legolam – That’s an interesting graph!

cycling is not a dangerous activity,

Very subjective. Compared to what? Nearly every injury I have sustained in my life that involved A&E was connected to cycling. May just be a reflection on my skill level though. :-)

but to remove the danger from the situation

Good luck with that.
The vast majority of road users have no idea what it feels like when a vehicle passes you too close when on a bike.
They are completely ignorant. They also act like **** when I’m in a car.
I don’t think you will ever change attitudes to cyclists until we get proper infrastructure. The main reason that the Flemish have such a good relationship with cycling is that they have separation in most places.

The terrible stretch of B road I used as an example, is busy, undulating and twisting for about 3 miles. When I get behind a cyclist, I wait until it is appropriate to overtake safely, this frequently means a long queue of traffic at an average of 10mph until it widens. I have witnessed several near misses when people have overtaken a cyclist an an unsuitable point when they have obviously got frustrated. It’s a similar problem to the caravan problem up in Scotland, where the Caravan Club have recommended that towing vehicles should pull over from time to time to allow traffic to pass.

I am not saying he should not be there and that a slow stretch of 3 miles is nothing compared to someone getting hurt or killed but the vast majority of people do not think like that.

The problem is a lot of our infrastructure cannot support the mix and density of traffic. This causes a lot of tension and the aggression towards people cycling.

The only way things will get better is more separation.

I await my flaming from many!

The higher risk you speak of is not from the environment

I would consider all the traffic as part of the environment.

Why must we accept a higher level of risk?

You obviously don’t understand risk.

Risk = Probability x Impact

If we assume the likelihood of a car or a bike being involved in an accident is the same. Then the impact of an identical accident on a cyclist is going to be greater than that on a car driver. I drive my car into the back of another at 20mpg and probably no serious injuries for anyone, I get struck from behind by a car at 20mph while on my bike, I would most likely be pretty badly hurt.

you think the appropriate action is that the cyclist shouldn’t have been there

At the time I thought “I wouldn’t be on this road if I was you mate”. The main reason being the conditions made the probability of an “undesirable event” quite high and the impact for the cyclist would probably be severe.

Do you also apply the same logic to people in smaller cars, or on mobility scooters? that if they get bashed about by someone in a bigger wagon that it was partially their own fault for choosing a smaller vehicle?

To a certain extent yes, but I am not talking about fault or blame. Someone in a 1970’s Mini is at greater risk of injury than someone in a brand new Range Rover. Or do you disagree?

It’s a shit state of affairs but in my opinion the only way you will significantly reduce accidents is to separate the cars and the cyclists. People will always take short cuts, take chances and make mistakes, it’s human nature, unfortunately for us the outcome for cyclists is normally pretty dire.

As compared to the zero control we have now?

I didn’t realise Scotland had no representation in Westminster? Or are your MP’s incapable of voting on anything? :-)

if Scotland wants to use the pound, there’s no way to stop us.

Of course not. But you will have little control of your economy.

Also, I thought financial services were a major section of your economy? Genuine question, do they still work if the currency isn’t yours?

Are you suggesting that drivers running down and killing cyclists because they only have a legal standard of lighting or are avoiding potholes at the side of the road aren’t down to driver’s carelessness?

No. Not at all.

I was giving 2 examples of a higher risk environments. Personally I wouldn’t of ridden that stretch of road at that time.

Everyone makes mistakes, it doesn’t make them idiots or incompetent. Have you ever made a mistake in your job? Why did you make that mistake?

Even the most highly trained people make mistakes, for a wide variety of reasons. There has been a lot of time and money spent trying to improve accident investigation. Before you get the pitchforks out, I suggest you take sometime to read up. A couple of good places to start.

Types of error

Accident investigation

We could reduce road fatalities by 99% by restricting all vehicles to a top speed of 15mph. That is nonsensical and will never happen. So, as a society we accept a level of risk when we travel.

Unfortunately, as a cyclist, due to the nature of your vehicle, you are much more vulnerable than a car driver. So you must accept a higher level of risk. This level of risk can be reduced by the way you ride, what you wear etc. etc. It can also be reduced by educating car drivers and separating bikes from cars.

At the end of the day, people will always make mistakes and some of these will be “genuine mistakes”. Unfortunately for us, if it involves a car driver and a bike then the chance of a serious injury or death is high.

Personally, I would love to see the cycle paths running alongside the A roads just like they have in Holland and Belgian.

Even if the driver was driving drunk and causes an accident, should he be imprisoned? What if the driver has had a history of child abuse, neglect, has been failed by Social Services and is an alcoholic through no real fault of their own? Would you still insist on sending him to prison?

The point I’m trying to make, is that it is impossible to lay blame on someone from a few lines on the BBC website.

Those which don’t involve the cyclist doing something wrong – what are they down to?

Define “doing something wrong”?

Now I used to have very 3 very bright rear lights when doing a short commute, 2 on the bike and 1 on my bag. However, if I had just 1 which was to the appropriate spec I wouldn’t have “felt safe”. Personally, I think anyone who ventures on the roads with just basic lights is foolish.

The other night, in foul weather, I was driving along a very busy B road at about 5.30pm. The road has numerous potholes that have appeared recently on the side of the road. I was behind a bike waiting for one of the few overtaking places, now he was jumping all over the place, obviously avoiding the holes. He wasn’t doing anything “wrong” but from a risk assessment point of view, I wouldn’t have been on that stretch of a road, on a bike, in that weather and at that time.

This sounds particularly tragic.

2 cyclists killed in Berkshire

Now it seems pretty straight forward that the driver of the BMW is to blame.

However, if he was being chased by the police at the time are they to blame as well?

Never straight forward.

There are some pompous arseholes on here.

Accidents happen. People get hurt and killed. All involve human error at some level. The vast majority are just that – “accidents”, it isn’t always appropriate to blame. Some are “genuine” mistakes.

Not all cyclist deaths are down to a drivers carelessness.

gordimhor won this thread on his first post. Nothing can compete with that thing.

Do you think Holyrood is? or any politician for that matter?

Broadly, yes. They’re far from perfect, but doing a lot of good. Like mitigating the bedroom tax recently, to pick just one example.

Ben if you really believe that was done for anything more than it being popular then you are a mug.*

They are all the same, professional politicians who care more about their careers and egos than the people they are supposed to represent.

*To further support this statement, by your own admission you did buy a piece of scrap for £200. :-)

Is this it?

£200!

I kicked my ebay+beer habit, but I still have numerous hi fi separates I need to get rid of, old 90’s hifi really used to do it for me.

I have a new problem with Amazon+Beer and s/h books. See something interesting on TV while drinking, google it and then check Amazon for any books on it, buying a lot of books for 1p with £2.80 delivery! The Kindle special deals are also a weakness.

What would be popular “left wing” policies in the UK?

Do we re-nationalise the transport system?

Get rid of the contractors supporting the MoD and NHS?

Start building council houses again?

Bring back the closed shop?

Or will this just cause the old problems of demarcation, inflexibility, militant unions, over manning, spiraling costs and a flat economy?

Or were those problems myths created by the tories to justify their privatisation of everything?

Are we too far down the line of the open market to turn back the clock?

The analysis sets out that the UK is one of the most successful monetary, fiscal and political unions in history, and the current arrangements bring significant benefits to Scotland. Taxation, spending, monetary policy and financial stability policy are co-ordinated across the whole UK to the benefit of all parts of the UK. Risks are pooled and the UK has a common insurance against uncertainty. Within a sterling currency union, an independent Scottish state would find it more difficult to adjust to the effects of economic challenges, such as a fall in the global price of oil, than Scotland is able to as part of the UK.

In turn, the continuing UK would become exposed to much greater fiscal and financial risk from a separate state, creating risks for continuing UK taxpayers. The subsequent experience of the euro area in the financial crisis highlights the challenges of creating a durable currency union. The analysis concludes that, in the event of a vote for independence, the Treasury would advise the UK government against entering into a currency union. The UK pound is one of the oldest and most successful currencies in the world. If people in Scotland vote to leave the UK they are also voting to leave the UK pound.

Quite a neat summary from that link.

mefty – Stop posting links to detailed analysis of the issues. You bully.

“Every nation gets the government it deserves.”
Joseph de Maistre 1811

half track panzer bread maker

:D

Northwind – I will repost the link for you.

Now it seems quite straight forward to me from what he is saying.

The rules for “new” members are different from what went before.

The Prof seems to know what he is talking about and doesn’t seem to be political but he seems to be talking from a legal and technical point of view.

How this guy has a failed argument I am not exactly sure.

It would enable a new centre right party to rise in Scotland, which would clean up

I agree with this.

There seems to be an assumption that the Scots will elect a left wing government and create their workers utopia.

My bet is the political landscape will change completely on independence and once free of the UK Tories, the centre right will benefit.

an independent Scotland has to commit to the euro if they want to join the EU
No we don’t. And join the EU? I’m already an EU citizen.

Yes you do and you won’t be in the EU. This was sorted yesterday.

Dr Jo Eric Khushal Murkens

Prof from the LSE

So he says:
No automatic EU membership.
If Scotland join then they must take the Euro.
They also must sign up to Schengen, which means there will need to be Border Controls between Scotland and England.

But what would he know?

POSTED 20 HOURS AGO #

Are Labour actually left wing now?

they’re now into the category of just making stuff up.

Any examples Ben?

Did they make up the bollocx about the secret oil reserves off the West Coast?

Listening to R4 this morning and I am now even more confused.

So if the UK will not let Scotland have a currency union and they do not fulfill the requirements for the Euro yet, then what are their options?

Link to the GBP anyway until they are in a position to enter the Euro?
Why would that be so bad? Sounds the most pragmatic to me.

Or have their own Scottish Pound?

THM can you expand on the implications of the above?

Never take their first offer.

If you have a mate with a trade account with Howdens, get a quote of them. The price offered from them will depend how much business that account does with them.

The Ikea one isn’t a bad idea will give you a good idea of what the cheapest units should cost.

bencooper – Member
And that’s before opening up the west coast that had been off limits due to Trident.

Does anyone have any links to information to back this up?

Which bits are off limits due to Trident?

Why does Trident prevent oil exploration?

Submarines can operate quite happily in the North Sea.

V boats tend to patrol under the ice so they can hide, not off the West Coast.

A month’s prescription for simvastatin 40mg costs £1.16.

So?

Doesn’t stop it from being profitable if you sell them by the million.

There are loads of software and websites that can do this sort of stuff.

I have used GPSies to do this sort of stuff. I have also used this open source program GPX editor.[/url]

A GPX file can be opened with a text editor and you can change things directly if you know the co-ordinates of the new route. Be a bit tedious for a lot of changes.

Dr Jo Eric Khushal Murkens

Prof from the LSE

So he says:
No automatic EU membership.
If Scotland join then they must take the Euro.
They also must sign up to Schengen, which means there will need to be Border Controls between Scotland and England.

But what would he know?

I’m confused Winston…A page ago you were saying that none of the military were staying.

I didn’t. I just said a lot of jobs would be lost with the reduction in the amount of military assets and personnel.

Now you are saying there will be so many staying we can’t afford them all?

Not sure where I said that either?

(he even started a thread on the use of the word Jock)

So what? That was a genuine question in response to another thread where someone got flamed for using it and he was surprised it had upset so many people. I was surprised how many sensitive souls there was. Nowt to do with independence.

distain for Scotland

Absolutely not. Just because I think the “Yes” voters are deluded doesn’t mean I think less of Scotland.
I lived there for six years and loved a lot of it. What I didn’t like was a distinct minority that had an irrational dislike of the English and blamed “them” for loads of things.
I still work a lot up there and with a lot of Jocks Scots in other places.

you telling us we’ll be frozen out of europe

I’m not Spain is.

AFAIK the EU have stated that the UK will not have to reapply if SCotland leaves.

if scotland needs to apply for reentry so will rUK, as they are also agreeing to a change in their national borders.

That isn’t actually true.

We’ll inherit a share of the UK’s military.

That share has nothing to do with where the assets are currently based.

The Westminster government already doesn’t pass on the Scottish share of the rebate to Scotland.

Those nasty English picking on the Scots again. Pinching all your money to pay for the London Underground.

Ever seen the size of the New Zealand Department of Defence building?

Yours will need to be bigger than that to look after all the military personnel you seem to want now. I don’t believe NZ has any obligation to NATO or similar sized organisation?

It may be but how would Scotland joining the EU piss the UK off?

Even if it was to just stick the fingers up to the UK because of Gibraltar

Christ on a bike! This just demonstrates that a lot of the Yes thing is the heart ruling the head. All emotional.

Why would the UK be upset if iScotland joined the EU?

What is more important to Spain? Pissing the UK off or keeping Catalunya?

Loads of good info here[/url]

which gets paid by the people of Scotland.

So not free then?

Business wise it’s pretty good as well.. Reduced or zero business rates for SME.. Thats not a bad deal..

Health wise, we don’t pay for prescriptions and Education wise.. our kids don’t have to pay to get into a university..

Zero rates – where does the LA get it’s funding?

Prescriptions – Tooth fairy provide them then? Or does the drugs company donate them to Scotland?