ketteringram

58 minutes ago, Comrade 86 said:

Renewed a few months back and it had gone down to @£330 with a few bells and whistles added. I do the recovery stuff separately though, so nearer £400 if that's thrown in as well. That's a little under par if anything. I've used Churchill the last twice FWIW. 

Is that £330 fully comprehensive? Or third party fire and theft?

2 hours ago, RoyMac5 said:

I have to say that's some price for your original insurance cost, how come? Is it down to were you live?

There's been lots of comments about car insurance increases. Seems there's no way round it.

Do you mean the £401 is low? Or high? 

In my head , I always think of insurance being £300 to £350.

Seems those days are gone.

29 minutes ago, Poynton ram said:

Just had my renewal through and the premium has gone up 56%. Have shopped around using comparison sites and all are quoting a much higher premium. Cost of Living no doubt to blame but still feel I am being ripped off. Anyone else having the same issue?

Yes. 

Last year was £401. Had the renewal come through yesterday at £617. So, stopped that , as it was going to auto renew. Shopped around and got £433. 

Which is still nuts. Driving 45 years, zero claims, zero points etc. Small car .

53 minutes ago, Chester40 said:

Three episodes in. 

I'm not all-over the Gary Oldman angle but agree he does add a touch of class.

Suppose it's like 'Spooks' but much better or '24' but not American. 

Some of the witty, snipey comments are very funny but not sure if they will start to grate.

Good watch so far.

They started grating with me almost from the start. 😀

I watched both seasons, and even though overall I enjoyed them, I thought the endings of both were awful. 

I presume I dream . Very rarely remember it though. Maybe once a year? 

On 29/09/2023 at 20:52, GboroRam said:

Couple of times a year, I go to visit a relative in Herefordshire, and as I drive through Eardisley , I pass this road.

Wasp

1 hour ago, Mucker1884 said:

Ha!  I could quite literally have typed that post myself 12 years ago... and my only regret is that I didn't start sooner than the summer of 2012... at the age of 49.5!  🤣

 

We got hooked straight away, and of course, we worked our way up from the starter kit basic gear to top-of-the-range true cotton canvas that is now 9 years old... faded of course... but performing as new, and should give us another couple of decades, should we stick at it that long!
We base our days primarily out on bikes... recently upgraded to electric pedal assist... with hiking boots and ruck sacks a close second.  We don't lie on beaches, although we may be tempted into a campsite pool for an hour in the early evening, if we've been out in 30+ sunshine all day.
UK is fine... including snowy February's in Buxton, or Rainy New years just outside York, but we much prefer France.  It's a whole different culture... and that very much includes their outlook towards camping and campsites.  
Being comparatively cheaper per nights accomodation is a bonus of course, but you do have to factor in the fact that we actually own that accomadtion, and are effectively renting around 100sq m of land, and access to hot showers, and flushing toilets.  (And more often than not, French campsites come without toilet seats, toilet paper, and even soap... The dirty b*******!)   🤣
As @David has hinted at, there is something out there for all, campsite-wise.  We avoid bare fields, and places without showers and toilets, but equally, we avoid pools with water slides, evening entertainment, anything that encourages families with young to teenage kids.  On-site restaurants and/or bars are never a necessity, and not something we specifically look for,  but they have been known to come in handy when available!
Yes, we have electric hook up, and yes, we have both mains and rechargeable lights, (and now electric bikes to re-charge), a low watt electric kettle, and even a low watt electric fan heater, usually for anytime now until April time.  Oh... and an electric fridge (not freezer).  We don't do TV's, computer games, and fancy cooking (on either gas or electric), as we're too lazy.  We'll eat out more often than not, but I hasten to add, we eat to live, not live to eat, so can comfortably survive without fine dining.  If we do cook at the tent, it's usually something quick and simple, warmed up on a single or double gas stove (cassoulet/Petit Salé/Stew/Chilli/Curry/Spag Bol etc... the latter examples usually pre-made at home, frozen, and re-heated when needed.
We take spirits/mixers with us.  Drink very little wine, and often bring back more stubby beers than we take with us.  We're not teetotal, but neither are we big drinkers.  A cold beer often goes down well though, after a full day's cycling, and the sun is still gleaming, early evening!
We also have top-of-the range "Self-Inflating Mats", which aren't as fancy as they sound, but are not your typical air-bed.  Combined with lots of lung-busting fresh air, and plenty of exercise, both of us regularly and truthfully state that we sleep longer, sounder, and more comfortably when camping, than we do at home!

Oh... Owls are fantastic.  Wood pigeons are annoying little shitz!  (My opinion only!).

 

My boss is also a mate... and we occasionally camp with family too... but I hasten to add, our favourite type of camping is when it's just the two of us... as we are best mates and soul mates, as well as being man & wife!

 

I repeat... my only camping-related regret is that we never started earlier!

 

Thank you for your interest.  I bet you wish you'd never asked now!  😁 👍 🍻

 

 

 

Thanks for that😀. What do you drive to move that lot around? Have you ever had issues with security of your stuff, if you're off out all day?

2 hours ago, Mucker1884 said:

Off to Ghent for the last week of October, for an unexpected 6 night camping trip, with the boss (plus wives of course).
Other than the fact I've only just taken my roof box off after returning 8 days ago from a 3 week camping trip to the South of France, I'm actually quite at peace with this latest plan of his, and hold no grudges against him!

I do love a boss who doesn't keep count of holiday entitlement!  😁😎

As someone who is clueless about camping, what happens on a trip like the one in October? After you've woken up, what happens next? Do you have to dismantle everything until you've gone somewhere else? Or is it all in the same place? Assuming you can't lock a tent, do you just leave it unattended all day? See, I've genuinely no idea how it works 😀

I've got to my 60s, and have never been inside a tent (other than a huge marquee type thing). I've never been in a caravan either. 

I should probably try it before knocking it. Well, I'm not knocking it as such. Just puzzled by it.

I can't imagine how much money I'd have to be getting paid to go camping, either on my own, or with anyone else, and especially my boss! 

1 hour ago, Bris Vegas said:

Just thinking about the PL, or first division, it’s amazing how times change.

I grew up in the 90s so I only ever saw Man Utd dominate with the brief Arsenal and Chelsea win thrown in.

It’s amazing to see how times have changed. Man Utd just don’t register as a top club for me anymore. They are miles behind City on and off the pitch. 

Probably those who watched Liverpool so dominant in the 80s can’t believe how bad they were in the 90s and 00s.

I see that with Man Utd now.

But give it another 15 years and after Pep and the City lot move on, the kids now will probably say the same when they drop way off it and we have a new dominant side.

 

I grew up in the 60s and 70s. So saw Man utd win the European cup, and then a few short years later , get relegated from the top flight. 

Derby promotion to the top division, and finishing 4th in the first season. Then winning it a couple of years later. 

I think back then, that clubs fortunes turned around a bit faster than they do these days. 

@maxjam

You sound like my polar opposite 😀

On 12/09/2023 at 17:33, Bob The Badger said:

Who has watched Murders in the Building?

We don't have Disney but there's a £1.99 per month offer and Mrs Badger wants to watch that and it seems to get good reviews.

Still got about 50 episodes of The Sopranos and Top Boy to go at, but it may make an interesting interlude. 

We've watched all available episodes of Only Murders so far. 

It's fine, bit inconsistent in the quality of the episodes. I don't find it funny at all, but it's somehow watchable. I've clearly a weird sense of humour, as pretty much every show that people regard as funny, I don't! 

Only Murders is certainly made more watchable by Selena Gomez (despite the acting). 

2 hours ago, Bob The Badger said:

Who has watched Murders in the Building?

We don't have Disney but there's a £1.99 per month offer and Mrs Badger wants to watch that and it seems to get good reviews.

Still got about 50 episodes of The Sopranos and Top Boy to go at, but it may make an interesting interlude. 

It's certainly be a change of pace to The Sopranos and Top Boy 😀

@David

Great post, and makes a lot of sense. That's from somebody with a similar history, but also someone who has never understood tattoos. I'm 60s now, but I didn't understand them even when I was 20! I used to think, why would you want something on your arm, for example? It doesn't matter what it is. Date, name , art whatever. 

Surely it can't be there for you to sit and look at . That would be just weird. But it would be even more weird, for me anyway, if it was there because you wanted other people to look at your arm. Why would anyone want that? Then there's the stuff, that's not even visible to yourself, or anyone else for the vast majority of the time, on someone's back for example. 

So, have never understood what they're for. I don't like or dislike them, just don't understand the purpose, but yours is a great explanation, and the dog one is perfect. 

5 hours ago, I DONT MIND said:

No thanks Kettering for your input as well. 

I was going to ask why you were going for block H, thinking it was right at the side. Then realised it's behind block C!  Either C or H would be fine. More leg room in the front row of H. Great view of  the effects etc from there too. Though bear in mind , it's the only place I've seen it from 😀

1 hour ago, I DONT MIND said:

Thanks for the info buddy.

Will probably try for block H then as we want to experience the show in its entirety not just for the fan boy(girl) dancing! So that may be the second visit.

Cheers 

Deleted due to incompetence. 

16 hours ago, I DONT MIND said:

Hi Carl S.

 

Is the best place standing?

Thinking of coming down in January for the experience (after saying i wouldn't if it was the last gig on earth!!!).

 

Be interested in your  POV.

 

Cheers IDM.

PS Waiting for Buzzcocks to do it with Pete Shelley (not the same without the master.😜)

Carl will have a much better idea , if he's been several times. We went once, and were very central , in the seating, just behind the standing section. Raised enough for a perfect view. If I was going again, I'd book the same block. I don't think it could possibly be as good if you were around towards the sides. We're too old and decrepit to bother with standing, especially after traipsing round London for the day.

Found the whole thing very impressive. Though it's an odd feeling , when you realise exactly what it is you're watching! Sound quality is awesome. 

12 hours ago, angieram said:

We arrived at the ground Main Stand in 22 degrees, full sunshine and NO refreshments open. Were told they would open at 2.55, an hour later.

I played merry hell with the stewards (who, to be fair  were just following instructions). There was a young lad at the front of the stand feeling faint, but no drinking water available. 

Anyway, I demanded they sorted it out immediately, told them it was illegal and I was reporting it to the papers. 

After about 20 minutes of harassing them they finally opened up. 

A ridiculous state of affairs and the sooner football starts treating away fans as paying customers, we might start behaving like them! 

 

I've no idea, but I wonder what it's like at PP for away fans. Presume it's fine for the seating , but no idea about the concourse facilities.

4 minutes ago, Jubbs said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66599733

This is huge news, Yevgeny Prigozhin has died in a "plane crash"

Purely accidentally.

6 hours ago, sage said:

4 decent ones, but the winner is poor. Would have made more sense to say she started dating a Tiger

Would have made more sense to say she was trying to pull a fast one. 

7 hours ago, sage said:

Someone criticising something they don't understand instead of just asking for an explanation. 

Then said explanation sounds like an excuse not a reason and the reason seems unreasonable to people who can't be reasoned with. 

I've tried a few times, but that's just not going in🤔

Is that Wiegmans first competitive loss as England manager?  If so, that is an impressive record.

6 minutes ago, Pottig said:

Warne out.

I am too. 

8 hours ago, Van der MoodHoover said:

Oh come on......

Try telling a citizen of Norwich that they live in the south.....🤣

And what's with the green spike In the top centre of the Midlands? Oh, and the downward pointing little blue bit, roughly where Grimsby is. It's almost as though someone has taken a marker pen to it!