I subscribe to a cycling mag and one motorbike mag. The motorbike one for over 20 years.

They keep cutting the quality of the paper and despite lots of requests via their forum to charge more for better quality, the bean counters at Bauer (like bean counters everywhere I suppose) just plump for the cheapest option.

This together with falling quality of writing means I’m thinking about canceling my subscription.

The old school journos had wit and style to their writing. It almost felt like a very well put together club newsletter. You felt part of the scene. When several of them died in various accidents I felt I’d lost friends. Odd, as I’d never met any of them, but through the mag they seemed like friends.

Nowadays, the mag just concentrates on the newest hyperbike that’s 250 grammes lighter and 0.15 seconds quicker to a ton than the previous model. Endless track comparisons which I don’t care about, although I do trackdays, and 99% of the readers couldn’t achieve anyway.

Pile it high and sell it cheap I guess. Few seem to want to cater for those who like to sit down for an hour or two and have a good read of a quality magazine.

Anyway, I’m off to suck a Werther and dwell on the old days. I may be some time………

A sandwich for my lunch and a packet of peanut cookies for the grandson. He’s quite partial to them.

Neither were any cheaper than when I bought them last time.

I did, and I enjoyed it too.

The Aussie police didn’t come across as the bunch of **** that they usually appear.

Good story, and it was all too sad that it was based on true events I believe.

This thread is useless without pictures :D

Get some silk gloves. Very thin and slip inside the outer glove very easily. Made a big difference on the odd occasion I rode in cold weather.

You’ll never get a job in chambers if you can’t spell.

Amateurs! That lorry driver on the M20 did it in much less time. Should’ve got him to drive past the bridge in each direction.

How much does it cost to have a patio laid?

Just watched it on you tube, I know, I’m cheap.

I enjoyed it, OK, the celeb bit and the fight were poor, but I thought that rest was good. Old school Top Gear and much, much better than the crap that the BBC came up with.

As said earlier, how can you expect to help if she won’t tell you the honest situation?

If she refuses to tell you the true state of affairs how can you possibly know what to do for the best?

For all your good intentions, they’re pissing you about. Why let them? Give them an ultimatum, tell you everything or they go it alone.

You’ve done much more than I would have done already.

How many times are you going to bail them out?

If they won’t let you have full access to the situation I’d tell them to go **** themselves. If you can’t see the whole picture, you don’t really know what you’re getting in to.

Throwing good money after bad.

Turn your phone off. 8)

Run man, the alarm bells are ringing loud for this one. :D

So, you can afford to spend a million on a one off concert, which will aid charities in the UK, but you shouldn’t cos some internet wombat might feel uncomfortable?

The OP needs to get a grip.

Do what you like with your money, WGAF what others think. Come tomorrow they’ll have forgot about it and moved on to something else to feel bad about.

Another thumbs up for Harry Rowland. The second pair I’ve bought from him arrived today. Look great and we’ll built as before.

I didn’t go for the lightest, I wanted strength above all else, but they don’t seem that heavy to me.

£160 for a pair of hand made wheels compares more than favourably to some off the shelf ones from my LBS.

That Contender video took me back 40 years or so. We’d been racing and we’re putting the boats away when one of the tail-enderskin made it to the slipway. A father and son sailing a Flying Dutchman. A big (20 foot long dinghy for the uninitiated). It was fairly breezy, and the dad left the young lad holding the boat while he went for the trolley. The boat was blown off the slipway and the lad let go of the forestay. Otherwise it would have dragged him into the Thames.

Kevin and I swam after the boat and sailed it back to shore.

The dad was grateful and suggested we took it for a proper blast. Trapeze belt on and away we went.

That boat was fantastic, fast smooth and a pleasure to sail. I owned a Contender many years later and it was only recently I found out that the Contender was a scaled down FD.

Back on topic I will take an old Motorola flip phone when out on the bike. It’s small and easy to tuck in a pocket. A Giffgaff PAYG sim is free and only needs a text or call every 6 months to keep it active and the credit alive.

Is that like “It’s not that I’m a racist, but”?

Not one knows what lies around the corner. I expect that you’d walk away with just the clothes onot your back. Do the decent thing.

If you think you do, you’re a bigger idiot than that comment makes you seem.

Separate accounts here. Been that way for 35 years. The only bill she pays is the cable TV bill, and that’s only because I’d left my cheque book at work the evening the cable guy came round to sign us up and didn’t have my sort code and account number to hand.

My money’s ours and hers is her own it seems, but then she only works part time and didn’t work at all until the children left school.

So sorry that our desire for self-determination is boring you.

But not the desire of the majority of Scots it would seem. If a 2nd referendum goes your way, would you be willing to have a third foround those unhappy with the result?

My 12 year old daughter was absolutely appalled on the morning of the Brexit vote, by what ‘the adults’ had done to her future.

Tell her to lighten up and enjoy her childhood. She’ll have long enough to worry about the world when she has a say in matters.

WTF is wrong with kids today!

Sorry to hear that – they can be such sly little buggers. How did you find out?

We’ve a squeaky floorboard in our bedroom and on this occasion Mrs Z heard it and asked what Dan was doing in the bedroom. He was caught off guard and started to deny it. Mrs Z explained how she knew and they all went upstairs and it was obvious what he’d been up to. He fessed up and also came clean to the copper who was called.

Of course by the time the solicitor got involved it was a very different story. He went to court and got a fine. Whoopee.

He stolen from others and his parents. Old habits die hard it seems.

Does she bring anyone home with her. Our daughter’s friend was stealing from us. He’d visit with her and pop upstairs to use the loo and nick something while he was alone.

If it definitely is her, just don’t invite her home for a while. Make it clear you don’t believe her and point out that it’s odd that nothing’s gone missing since she stopped visiting.

**** upsetting her, she seems to care little for you. Should you do nothing and have her strip the home?

I’ll never tire of it…..?

I’d be wary. It might be that the other driver thought that you were indicating to turn into the road he was leaving. If the insurevs decide you indicated too early they may hold you liable. Whatever, I expect the daily rate will be very expenaive. Can you not hire a car and claim off the other driver if he’s found to be at fault.

One more thing before the start tomorrow, it’s worth considering the comradeship each of the skippers have with each other. Whilst it’s a full on flat chat race to win, they all support each other and wouldn’t think twice to ditch the race and go help another skipper in trouble.

I recall reading the account of Pete Goss turning round and beating back 160 or so miles to rescue Raphall Dineli. A fantastic achievement. He’s certainly a guy I’d want in my corner when the chips were down.

Perhaps they just can’t be arsed with such a small job. We had a broken roof tile and it was a right pain trying to find someone to replace it.

Found someone eventually. He came round and did it there and then. Cost me £90 but as I wasn’t prepared to go onto the roof myself I paid it willingly. Had I been able to reach the tile from the ladder I would’ve done so, but bugger climbing half way up the roof now. Done it when I was younger, but I’d be more than likely to feature on the next installment of 24 Hours in A&E if I tried now.

Not everyone wants any job no matter how small. We often turn down work that’s unprofitable, or more trouble than it’s worth. Having said that we also supply a very small customer, hold stock at our expense and deliver small quantities without up charge. But then I ike him and he never takes the piss. Build a relationship with your LBS. Use them or lose them.

Cracking footage in that first video. Can’t help thinking that the southern ocean is no respecter of carbon fibre though.

I was listening to Alex Thompson talking about the race on the radio earlier in the week. He’s only completed 2 out of 5 Vendees. It’s tough race in the harshest of conditions. Good luck to him though, it’d be nice to be the first non French sailor to win it.

I watched the programme. I wonder how many of the customers would have the balls to actually shoot someone. Those kids firing at targets, or the adults for that matter seemed to take a long while to pull the trigger. I doubt you’d have the luxury of time if you were shooting at the bad guys they all fear so much.

To me it just seems that you’d die with a gun in your hand.

really hope I’m wrong, but your reluctance seems to be based on cost. It money was not a factor, what would you do? With no medical/vetinary background, why do you think you are in a position to judge if the operation will only aggravate the problem? Get the op done, and good luck.

It is a factor though, unless you’re offering to pay.

Sadly no. I took mine to the local LBS and coughed up £15 for them to do it.

I work on my motorbikes, but the front mech defeated me and I opted out before reaching for the hammer and venting my frustrations on the bike :oops:

2 of our 5 dogs had cancer. We opted to have them put to sleep. One cannot explain to a dog the reasons for their sickness and it seemed the best and kindest option to us.

Either way, it’s not an easy decision and one only you can take. On a more callous approach, the cost will be substantial and to me was never a good use of the money. If you’ve shed loads of cash to spare it me be an easier decision to make, but to spend thousands on a pet never sat well with me.

Luckily, the dogs were really Mrs Z’s babies so the final decision rested with her. She’s quite a practical lass and took the decision to have them put to sleep.

I just hope she’s as upset at my passing when the time comes as she was with all our dogs. Having said that, big old rusty tufty geezer that I am, I couldn’t stay with them as the vet carried out the procedure. I sat in the waiting room balling my eyes out.

Good luck to the OP, It’s not an easy choice and whatever you decide I wish you well.

Lightweight :D I regularly used to sleep in the back of my Saab 900 at open meetings.

Big enough for me to lie down with room to spare, comfor table with an airbed and warm enough with the right sleeping bag. The rear windows were hinged to allow ventilation.

Much less hassle than a tent.

I had a Macan. It’s not where I left it when I went out for a meal with friends.

Stedlocks, did you look at the Ramble? There’s one in my LBS window and I popped in and had a look at it.

I like the bike, it just seems that at £999 it’s a quite dear considering the equipment. Sora, cable discs etc. when one can get a much better spec for the same or less.

I do like to look of the Ramble though and have started to avoid walking past the LBS window in case my resolve weakens and I buy the thing.

I had one last winter and have regretted it greatly. Within hours I’d developed one of the worst coughs I’ve ever had. Took weeks to clear up. Now if I get as much as a snuffle the bloody cough returns and it too takes weeks to clear up. If they offer me another one I’ll tell them where to stick it.

To add insult to injury I had to pay for it as I wasn’t as old as the woman in Boots thought I was.

Where do the dogs get the Quavers from…….. :-)

That was Heat lol.

Sorry, definitely Ronin. De Niro says it to Jean Reno when they’re sat in a parked car.

Wasn’t it Robert de Niro’s character in Ronin who said “Where there’s doubt, there is no doubt”

Pull out, pull out now. Good advice at any time :-)

“fit for purpose”….. This Made me chuckle.

Cousin of mine applied for Hampshire Police. I’m at a complete loss as to how she passed the fitness test. She is 5’5″, weighs about 14,5St. She gets out of breath when chasing the dog around the garden. She hasn’t ridden a bike for the last six years. She has three chins. She says “like” in,like, every sentence. Her grammar is crap.
And she is 21 years old.

HTW did she pass the fitness test?

If she tried to chase me she would stand no chance. If she tried to arrest me I’d laugh in her face.

With applicants like that it is not surprising people lack respect for the police….

Lesbian, gay, ethnic by chance? They’d shit themselves rather than say no. :-)

thruppence

Off to the Old Fashioned Phrases thread with you. :o