Oh dear. Just looked at the local forecast and rain is forecast for the next 7 days. It's raining here now but I'm off to work soon for my normal 9 hours, and I feel genuinely sorry for the visitors who have rented cottages or are planning on camping or caravanning in the vicinity.
I've just bought a 25 litre drum of spirit based wood preservative to treat a few fences & sheds on my days off next week. Looks like I will be Spring cleaning instead.
Anyone going anywhere interesting?
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No such thing as the wrong weather, just as long as you have the right clothes !
Llandegla at some stage most likely. Bit of a climb but a hell of a descent.
;-)
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Look out for the new speed limits in Llandegla Humph. Now 50s, being rigidly enforced after a load of biking accidents. Bike groups have spotted incorrect signage....but still.
Had the MH back last Friday. Busy last weekend so no chance to do much. Did a few checks and cleaning yesterday. Meant to finish that off today...we'll see.
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>> Look out for the new speed limits in Llandegla Humph. Now 50s, being rigidly enforced
>> after a load of biking accidents. Bike groups have spotted incorrect signage....but still.
Bike groups should be looking at ways to keep their members alive, not ways to circumvent safety.
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The bit I'm interested in doesn't have any limits. Or roads to be fair !
;-)
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Sat 28 Mar 15 at 10:26
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These are decent bikers - otherwise I wouldn't be linked. Very local to the area. It's the idiots from away that are killing themselves. The faulty sign has been brought to the attention of the local BikeSafe coordinator by the group.
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>> No such thing as the wrong weather, just as long as you have the right clothes !
That sounds similar to something Billy Connolly said about the weather in Scotland. I couldn't find it, but I rather like this one:
"There are two seasons in Scotland: June and Winter."
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>> Oh dear. Just looked at the local forecast and rain is forecast for the next
>> 7 days. It's raining here now but I'm off to work soon for my normal
>> 9 hours, and I feel genuinely sorry for the visitors who have rented cottages or
>> are planning on camping or caravanning in the vicinity.
They need to come south, much better weather prospects down here. As usual.
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We're off to the Lyvennet valley on Friday. Lunch at Arnside as usual then up the A6 to Shap where we turn right.
Not too bovvered about the wevver. Beer, good scran, dogs and woodburner will sort that out. Our host will do all the driving for the weekend in his Bipper.
Off with the caravan for long weekend on 17th to Hartington in Derbyshire. Might add a couple of days if it's sunny.
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At home over Easter itself. The Lad and I are off walking hostel to hostel round Borrowdale and Ennerdale the week after.
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After today not back in work until next Friday. Thought I might pop over to Lanzagrotty and stay with an old gf at short notice. However all Jet2 flights out of Leeds tomorrow (Sunday) are full, and Manc flights Sunday > Thursday are upwards of £500!
Will check other LCC after work tonight but not looking hopeful. Spring cleaning looms large.
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If you can be harrised, you'll likely get better deals out of Luton, Stansted or Gatport Airwick.
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>> If you can be harrised, you'll likely get better deals out of Luton,
I would far sooner stick pins in my eyes than fly out of Luton. An airport of such awfulness in every respect that it is guaranteed to sour any journey.
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>> >> If you can be harrised, you'll likely get better deals out of Luton,
>>
>> I would far sooner stick pins in my eyes than fly out of Luton. An
>> airport of such awfulness in every respect that it is guaranteed to sour any journey.
>>
>>
I thought all airports were wonderful stimulating experiences? ;)
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>> Luton. An airport of such awfulness in every respect that it is guaranteed to sour any journey.
But so useful when it and Gatwick are one train ride from my local station.
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>> After today not back in work until next Friday. Thought I might pop over to
>> Lanzagrotty and stay with an old gf at short notice. However all Jet2 flights out
>> of Leeds tomorrow (Sunday) are full, and Manc flights Sunday > Thursday are upwards of
>> £500!
Easter holidays + low cost + short notice = NFC. Anywhere.
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>> Easter holidays + low cost + short notice = NFC. Anywhere.
Same on trains. Miss B spending Good Friday in Sheff with uni mates. Cheapest fare on the hourly through train from Plymouth is off peak return - a tad under £100 AFTER railcard discount.
Might be cheaper if she faffs about splitting the journey but we both agreed too much ag.
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>> They need to come south, much better weather prospects down here. As usual.>>
Not so much recently from what I recall...:-)
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Right well, the sun is out here now. Best go and do something in it...I've got a dog somewhere...
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Can't imagine why Zero is boasting about the weather down in this quarter. Howling gale and plenty of rain. At least it isn't freezing though.
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Stopping in - the boss has a DVT (being treated) in her left leg - too painful to walk or stand for long periods of time.
All household stuff is down to me at present.
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>> Can't imagine why Zero is boasting about the weather down in this quarter. Howling gale
>> and plenty of rain. At least it isn't freezing though.
Thunder in Midlands this afternoon and very blowy while out/about.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 28 Mar 15 at 22:07
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Off to Scotland, determined to climb Authur's Seat this time with my daughter.
Got some house work to do on property in Northumberland on the way up, maybe head down the west side for the ferry after Easter,
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I took my wife's uncle up Arthur's Seat once. ( that just sounds so wrong doesn't it? )
Anyway, as you probably know, it's nothing much more than a gentle stroll up a wee hill but the views across Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth are great from the top.
At one point we were just strolling up the hill and chatting when I noticed he'd gone quiet, I turned round to find him on his hands and knees having a real wobbler about the height. Couldn't believe it. I suppose he was more used to the Cheshire Plain but Arthur's Seat isn't exactly the Cairngorms !
Just goes to show though. Something anyway.
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>> I took my wife's uncle up Arthur's Seat once. ( that just sounds so wrong
>> doesn't it? )
>>
I fell off my seat just reading that !!!!
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Just woken up in the caravan after a very windy night in a field in East Ayrton just outside of Scarborough!
Slept like a log thinking I was back in a lorry cab again but some rain on the roof would have made it perfect....maybe tonight.
Easter weekend is for BBQ,s and gardening.
Pat
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>> Just woken up in the caravan after a very windy night in a field in
>> East Ayrton just outside of Scarborough!
Have you got a ceramic frying pan with you so that you can give us your opinion of them ?
Last edited by: Skip on Sun 29 Mar 15 at 07:53
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it's sooo windy up here on the Cornish moors that I've just seen my bird feeding station, complete with the Perspex anti-squirrel dome, literally take flight and break into a thousand pieces.
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>> it's sooo windy up here on the Cornish moors that I've just seen my bird
>> feeding station, complete with the Perspex anti-squirrel dome, literally take flight and break into a
>> thousand pieces.
>>
Hm, flying squirrels in Cornwall then? Must be down to global warming.
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>> Hm, flying squirrels in Cornwall then? Must be down to global warming
These are southern flying squirrels, which are a completely different species to the ones oop North.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_flying_squirrel#/media/File:Northern_Flying_Squirrel.JPG
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Still wet n windy here in an N Yorks. Off to gym & sauna, walk the dog, clean out kitchen cupboards, clean bathrooms then it might be beer o'clock at 5 ish. My pal will be driving back after buying his daughters 3 yo Golf GTD, so will have a look at that. She had just bought a new GTD with the 184 engine.
He now has to sell his 5 door '03 307. Full history and just had a belt change & mot. Any one care to guess what he will sell it for.? I reckon about £1200/1300.
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Pretty wet here too but not very windy. Next weekend looks fairly reasonable, but nothing planned anyway. But the forecast will probably change anyway.
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Horribly wet & windy in Reading, although schools don't break up until end of the week.
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We have a reasonable week, coldest day will be 24C ranging to 31C forecast for Weds, not bad for Autumn and arguably the best time of year for outdoorsy stuff. Nights are drawing in mind, dark by 7pm now and not light until 7am, clocks go back next week (Easter Sunday). It's the one time of year when our weather seems most like yours, except I guess it isn't.
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Where abouts are you in the world idle chatterer?
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>> Where abouts are you in the world idle chatterer?
>>
Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). we get very varied weather and it can change dramatically in minutes, the locals' joke that 'if you don't like the weather wait 15 minutes and it will change' isn't all that far from the truth. However the weather looks settled for the next week or so but is definitely turning autumnal with colder nights. No rain is forecast until Easter weekend but the garden really needs it so I'll not complain.
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And I should add some motoring content too.... the trees are currently full of sulphur crested cockatoos (and I mean hundreds of shrieking birds attacking one or two trees then moving to another). I was out washing the Outback this arvo since I got it genuinely dirty by following the satnav down an unmettled forest track after dropping my daughter off at camp in the Dandenongs. A flock of these handsome but noisy blighters flew over my house dropping many poo bombs, glad I could wash the rather nasty looking stuff straight off the car.
And for further motoring content, I saw a steam lorry, many Ford Mustangs and a Ford Thunderbird whilst on my travels today. When the sun shines....
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>> Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). we get very varied weather
My son is based there. We saw in the New year in 2004? We stood near that huge casino and it was absolutely freezing, despite having heavy coats on.
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>> >> Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). we get very varied weather
>>
>> My son is based there. We saw in the New year in 2004? We stood
>> near that huge casino and it was absolutely freezing, despite having heavy coats on.
>>
Surprised it was so cold for New Year Duncan, IIRC about that time this year we got a few days in the 40s (Degrees C) with nights remaining in the low 30s. It never gets cold enough for frosts in Melbourne but 100 miles or so away in the mountains it snows during the winter which many Brits find surprising given their preconceptions of Australia. There's not an awful lot between here and the Antarctic to stop southerly winds which can be rather chilly at any time of year. A corollary (and motoring reference) is that roads are not gritted and cars last forever without rusting. Black ice can be a problem in July and August when venturing up country though.
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It's still vile here, wet, very windy and coldish.
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>> It's still vile here, wet, very windy and coldish.
Same here.
Just been out to move car back onto drive now Miss B and her chap have departed. Sitting on my grass it was being blustered about as though on an exposed sea front or mountain stop.
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I'm looking enviously at where my friends live in Placerville, Northern CA. Going to be a cloudless 24 there today. The down side is that their ski season never really got going... A lack of major storms, and I think their nearest resort, Sierra Tahoe is already closed for the season.
Can't have everything
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>>It's still vile here, wet, very windy and coldish.
ditto, it's blown my balls away - big stainless steel ones that I have in the jardin.
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Stopped raining here, quite warm in the sun. Just come back from the Forestry - dogs !
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Went for our annual Easter charity 5 mile walk round Tittesworth reservoir.on Saturday.tinyurl.com/q4jpehd
Full waterproof gear and walking shoes. It rained all the time... until the last half mile. The only damp was sweat.. Very muddy in parts..
(Raised £50k in total for Christian Aid)
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>> Somewhat breezy outside today...
>>
>> i61.tinypic.com/29ntqpx.jpg
Blimey, tis yere. Some of them gusts now is quite errr gusty.
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Taking herself to the station an hour ago, was forced to run over a freshly killed rabbit lying at the side of the road by a car coming the other way.
'e***** rabbit', I muttered bad-temperedly. Herself remonstrated.
'Not a very nice thing to say, especially coming up to Easter.'
I was very apologetic.
'Sorry! I meant, e***** bunny.'
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Can't sleep due to the storm, but I had planned to go down south for a couple of nights the week after Easter, sadly the weather isn't looking good. Was planning of going to either Torquay or Bournemouth.
Just booked ten days in Spain in June on the coach and two coach seats (so I have room!) so can't afford the train down to Torquay so would have to get the mega bus down to Exeter (£30 return).
Bournemouth was coming up as £50 on the return on the train but those tickets have sold now the problem is I would only want to go if the weather is decent which rules out booking trains in advance. Brighton is another option but the hotels tend to be very expensive there and is not a particularly nice place, just very easy to get to from Manchester and good weather.
Still hopefully the weather will be nice in Spain in June, got ten days to kill there, I decided rather than go twice for 7 days just go once for 10. In September I have a week either in the UK or travel round Western Europe, been too many years since I have last been to Germany the problem is my hernia limits me carrying any heavy luggage hence having to go Spain by coach (the drivers do the lifting).
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>> so would have to get the mega bus down to Exeter (£30 return).
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooo.....................
Whatever you do, don't get a MegaBus. Some years ago I travelled from London to Leeds on one and while granted, the ticket only cost a tenner, it was the singularly most miserable experience of my life.
Imagine a bog-standard double-decker that's had "Megabus" graffitied on the side and you get the experience. No heating in the depths of winter, bench seats, and joining the motorway was a frightening experience as I don't think the bus could actually go faster than 40 mph. And then it broke down on the M1.
I would honestly rather chew off one of my own testicles than ride a Megabus again.
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>> I would honestly chew off one of my own testicles
>>
May we watch?
Are you selling tickets?
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I'd do it on the BBC News at 6 if the alternative was another 8 hours on a Megabus.
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>> I'd do it on the BBC News at 6 if the alternative was another 8
>> hours on a Megabus.
That and buying an Insignia? Makes a German Wings pilot sound positively level headed and sane!
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>> >> I'd do it on the BBC News at 6 if the alternative was another
>> 8
>> >> hours on a Megabus.
>>
>> That and buying an Insignia? Makes a German Wings pilot sound positively level headed and
>> sane!
>>
I'm sorry, the driver of the Renault Flip-Flop and the Subaru Plimsoll is criticising MY car choice? ;-)
Last edited by: Fursty Ferret on Tue 31 Mar 15 at 10:08
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>> I'm sorry, the driver of the Renault Flip-Flop and the Subaru Plimsoll is criticising MY
>> car choice? ;-)
Yeah, but i didn't pay a shed load of money for them
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>>
>> >> I'm sorry, the driver of the Renault Flip-Flop and the Subaru Plimsoll is criticising
>> MY
>> >> car choice? ;-)
>>
>> Yeah, but i didn't pay a shed load of money for them
>>
0% finance, low monthly payments, and the option to throw the car away after 3 years and get a new one. Works for me.
Last edited by: Fursty Ferret on Tue 31 Mar 15 at 11:00
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>> low monthly payments,
Well I am glad they are paying you some form of compensation. 3 years is a long sentence tho, child molesters get less.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 31 Mar 15 at 11:15
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Have you ever driven one?
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>> Have you ever driven one?
Indeed my son has one.
Last edited by: Zero on Tue 31 Mar 15 at 11:22
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May we watch?
You'd want to?
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The Megabuses are proper coaches now, the last one I went on as an Astromega identical to the one I went to Spain just with less leg room. I have done Manchester to Exeter before, wasn't the most pleasant of journeys but at the time I wasn't in the best frame of mind.
That said I probably won't do it.
I did draw the line at travelling to Barcelona on the Megabus though, that would have been too much! I am actualy quite looking forward to the coach to Spain, knowing that nobody can sit next to me :)
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>> knowing that nobody can sit next to me
Billy no mates ;)
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It is a 26-30 hour journey depending on the traffic, so booking the two seats takes away a major apart of the anxiety, who is going to sit next to me.
I generally enjoy people sitting next to me on trains, we went down to Nottingham for a Morrissey gig a couple of weeks ago and we had the table seat, one of the persons sat there was a Spanish lad from Madrid, we spoke a lot about music and met up with him later in a rock pub etc.
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How does that work then? You pay twice the fare?
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Yep, £130 extra but it means I can enjoy the journey rather than fear it :). Actually it is costing £100 more than the cheapest Ryan Air flights I could get but the coach is just apart of the holiday and the ferry crossing breaks it up.
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>> Yep, £130 extra but it means I can enjoy the journey rather than fear it
>> :). Actually it is costing £100 more than the cheapest Ryan Air flights I could
>> get but the coach is just apart of the holiday and the ferry crossing breaks
>> it up.
That journey would break me up as well
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It is not that bad especially on the way, around 5 hours to Dover then a good two hour meal break on the ferry, a couple of pints, by the time we get back on the coach it is approaching the Evening, half a sleeping tablet and a night of zero sleep and by sunrise over the Pyrenees you are virtually in Spain.
A spare battery for the laptop, a 3G router, a 5000MA USB battery, the tablet and phone are essentials as is a pillow. I will also download a lot of Cisco stuff for the course I am studying - not that I will do any studying on the coach!.
The coach company I go with send 6-9 coaches a week down to Spain which is around 700 people a week. It is boring at times I admit, but it really is zero hassle. No actually what the hell have I let myself in for? My last words last time where "never again!." That was after the return journey though which was problematic as the M1 was shut.
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Tue 31 Mar 15 at 12:20
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If the journey is part of the holiday why are sitting on a bus ?
Take your car, no worries about who is going to sit next to you.
When you get to Spain just be a bit street wise, you get a puncture, lock all the doors and take the keys with you. Always have your passport and wallet hidden on you so some theaving scrote won't take you for a ride.
I didn't realise they still did coach travel to Spain since EasyJet and Ryanair.
Can you not get a bunch of mates from Manchester interested in a drive to Spain ? I'd be surprised and amazed but I don't live in Manchester so maybe the take on the world adventure left with BBD ?
P.S. Back on topic, planning on climbing Arthur's Seat, with my daughter, this weekend if there's a long enough break in the weather. Today we've had rain, sleet, hail, some snow, a bit more sleet and some more hail. Wish I'd left the winter tyres on as we're heading North tomorrow.
Last edited by: gmac on Tue 31 Mar 15 at 23:29
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I don't get it.
If you loved it, were looking forward to it, and would enjoy it while you were doing it, then it doesn't really matter what I or anyone else thinks about it.
But you seem to be dreading it, or at the very least not looking forward to it. And paying double to avoid someone next to you? Dear God, what are you thinking?
Why are you so dead set against the alternatives?
Last edited by: No FM2R on Tue 31 Mar 15 at 23:32
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Many years ago, the ski club I was a member of travelled by coach to Tignes. Two of them, who each had, shall we say , relationships back home, became overly friendly. On the return trip they travelled with the luggage under the coach. It must have been noisy, and very uncomfortable, but doubtless by the time we reached Calais they were members of the metre high club. Several times over. What with H & S these days it almost beggars belief, but believe me it happened, albeit in the late 70s.
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Patient this afternoon, mid-20s chap - runny nose, sneezing, irritated eyes past couple of days.
Probably hayfever, says me, on account of the sunnier weather bringing the tree pollens out.
Looks out window: fuggin' swirls of snow
Cue laughter.
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I could have gone by train, but because of my hernia I am not risking it, it involves carrying heavy luggage onto the over head racks, carry luggage up underground stairs etc and navigating big cities like Paris with all the luggage. The coach just takes all that hassle out.
I thought the extra £130 was worth paying because it will make the journey a lot more comfortable and I don't need to worry about who might sit next to me. There is no escape for 26 hours or so!.
Looking forward to the break, 13 days in total so will give me time to think about things and my future etc.
I actually know a lot of people at the resort and that is one reason I am going there it is also on the main line with frequent trains to Girona and Barcelona etc. I hope to take a tour to Andorra while I am there too.
Re sking story above - How the hell did the people in the luggage compartment hold off needing the toilet for so long!
Last edited by: RattleandSmoke on Wed 1 Apr 15 at 00:30
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It can be pretty annoying having to sit next to someone for the one hour train journey between Reading and Bath. £130 to avoid that for 26-30 hours sounds like a bargain :)
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Zipping about more or less locally in our own jalopy a couple of days ago, the weather was exactly as you would expect from one of those schematic TV weather maps, gusty and with small heavy showers. From heavy rain to sunshine in fifteen seconds, streaming wet roads to completely dry ones and back... A bit annoying, like being in Toyland.
There are still a couple of ice warning notices left over from a month ago. LA cuts no doubt.
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Was at Cromer today. Strong North Westerly and the sea quite rough after yesterday's gales. Surfers enjoying the waves
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AC, the only ice in LA is either in cocktails or at the Staples Center tomorrow where the Kings are playing the Oilers, according to friends who are flying in for the weekend.
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Er, the LA I meant was local authority, not the stupidest town in the entire world...
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Thu 2 Apr 15 at 11:56
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Had a first in five years of beekeeping. A hive blew over on Wed between 5-7pm. Easily righted and no damage. The hive weighed approx 100kg. It had a lot of honey in it.
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Meant to ask you what you thought about the flow hive, madf? Not a beekeeping person (although Mrs C would like to be) but was intrigued with the speed at which this got overfunded, so I assume it's a good idea?
www.indiegogo.com/projects/flow-hive-honey-on-tap-directly-from-your-beehive
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Just googled the AA traffic report thingy which shows you any current problems on a map of the UK. Suffice it to say I'm glad I didn't plan to go anywhere today...
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I had a lovely run up to theLakes earlier today. Roof down, blue skies, very little traffic about. Very few mimsers. Returned home late afternoon with both sun & wind burn. Still plenty of snow on the tops, so hope everyone stays safe this BH weekend. Fortunately I'm working.
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The flow hive? In theory great if you live in a warm climate. In the UK with lots of cold weather, the honey may not pour and some types of honey crystallise in the comb.... (ivy).. so it will not work with them .
A brilliant idea. Will it work in practise? Do I want to spend $350 with no promise of ever seeing a hive? Crowd funding guarantees NOTHING...and distance selling regs do not apply...
My money is firmly in my back pocket.
PS the advertising is misleading. Anyone who thinks you can leave honey open to the elements and not have it covered in hundreds of bees intent on robbing it - and causing a scheme of complete chaos.- is not a practical beekeeper.
It was originally patented in c 1949 - or something very similar. Never went anywhere...
Last edited by: madf on Thu 2 Apr 15 at 15:56
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Continuing good weather here in t'Dales. Two days off so taking the ancients out for lunch & a drive prior to an evening in my local pub beer garden. Tomorrow off to the Lakes. Park up outside Grasmere, then wander over Helm Crag, Greenup Edge, Raise. A gentle twelve miles or so with friends. I volunteered to drive, so they can enjoy several beers en route home at The Watermill, Ings & Eagle and Child, Staveley. Roof down all the way.
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>>
>> Tomorrow
>> off to the Lakes. Park up outside Grasmere, then wander over Helm Crag, Greenup Edge,
>> Raise.
You'd have had last of good weather in Lakes then LL?
The Lad and I left car at Honister on same morning and walked over Haystacks, along ridge to Red Pike then down to Gillerthwaite and back up valley to Black Sail. Snow gone except in north facing corries etc.
Bit off slightly more than we could chew and were late arrivals for dinner and wife panicked as Hostel manager had phoned her to make sure we hadn't abandoned.
Woke up on Saturday to fresh snow on tops and a scattering down to the hostel's level. Bit of a scramble onto Kirk Fell but decided Gable from that side too snowy and went round the 'traverse' to Sty Head and over Windy Gap back to Black Sail - another over long day.
Got back yesterday after three more nights walking Gillerthwaite>Honister and car down to Longthwaite.
Both thoroughly enjoyed it and planning a parallel expedition to Snowdonia in late summer.
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Easter weather - Runfer D'Hills
