Jeremy

Sorry CK... yeah, I meant half board. That price seems about right to me. In fact in one of the big resorts, you'd be hard pushed to find something for less. Skiing isn't cheap, unfortunately.

Is that full board? If it includes lessons, ski hire and lift pass, then it sounds about right.

peterstorm1985 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Good point re cost of taxis for longer distances, > but on the very odd occasion that I might need a > car for a longer distance (although if I possibly > could I'd use the train - I like reading when I'm > travelling) I'd just hire a car from a car hire > company. I guess it depends how often you'd need to do it. There aren't many car hire places near here, so getting there in the first place is a bit of added hassle. Car clubs aren't for everybody, but I can understand the attraction.

Hands up who saw that one coming?

Brendan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why in the names of all the gods would they want to? Maybe to go to the Ministry Of Sound? (they had crap taste in those days, and punk rock hadn't been invented yet)

RosieH Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > don't we hold the innocent until proven guilty rule sacrosanct > in this country? What further proof do you want?

I think car clubs probably work well for longer distances. Try getting a taxi to somewhere 30-40 miles out of London and back, it would probably cost something like ?150.

fyvum - decent people don't become arseholes who want to start trouble, just because they're on a stag weekend. I would suggest that those people are arseholes anyway, who just lose their inhibitions after a few pints. A stag weekend should be a blast if your friends aren't dicks.

Cool. The DPS16 is probably a bit of an overkill for what you need, and it is large... you'd be hard pushed to find a bag it would fit in, and it would probably end up damaged in anything but a flightcase. But let me know if you want to come round some time for a demo.

Not looking for another band right now, Iain... but what instrument do you play?

I'm not anti-cannabis at all, but to play devil's advocate... you can't legitimise something by doing in the name of some daft made-up religion. (I'll probably take some flak for that but... whatever)

Jah Lush Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > PC bollocks innit. Actually no... quite the opposite in fact. The vast majority of the complaints (there were only around 100 btw) are complaining that it teaches bad English!

Maybe that's what they are - but they're pretty common!

IMO it is abuse of a gesture of good will. People don't necessarily give things away because they can't be bothered to sell them. It's still going on, especially with TVs - so if this kind of thing bothers you, keep your eyes peeled.

Vik Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > All the trains on this line are passenger. Incorrect.

Keef - not trawled through all the models on *bob*'s link, but my advice would be to get one with XLR inputs with phantom power, if possible. That will allow you to use it with decent mics, and won't render the thing redundant if you want to start upgrading. I don't really agree with Bob's laptop suggestion (unless you happen to have a macbook lying around collecting dust). I've tried using PCs for music before, but just found myself constantly re-installing software and drivers to keep the thing running. My old Akai DPS16 is available for a small price, but it's far from compact, and it's rather dated now.

BB100 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Good idea Jeremy but my partner is now paranoid > and wants the 5 lever lock on. You should be able to get a 5 lever lock with a thumbturn on the inside...

Why not just get a lock that doesn't need a key from the inside?

I'm jealous - the first week skiing is the most fun IMO. I caught the skiing bug maybe 7/8 years ago, and have gone twice a year every year since. If you go with any of the big ski operators - Crystal, Thompson, Neilson, etc - they can arrange your equipment hire, lift pass, and ski school for you, and guide you through the whole process. You don't have to worry about anything. Austria and Italy are both cheaper than France or Switzerland, and have some great skiing. Try to go for a resort which is high up (resort at >1500m, highest elevation >2500m), to make sure you aren't skiing in slush or ice. Avoid cheapo deals to Bulgaria, the snow is not reliable. You don't need a huge resort, because on your first week you won't be able to take full advantage of it. But try to find somewhere with a good selection of green/blue runs. Try to get accomodation close to the lifts - or at least close to a "ski bus" stop. Walking in ski boots while carrying skis is no fun at all. Websites such as fasttrackski and iglu allow you to search packages by price/conntry/resort, and will include info such as number of beginner runs, elevation, transfer time, proximity to lifts, etc. But be careful about booking through them, as they will invariably add ridiculous surcharges - and won't tell you about them until they're taking your payment.

Dammit. I give up.

fyvum Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Book your restaurant seats now guy's because you > will find all of them full if you wait until tonight. Think it's probably a bit too late already...

The common attitude in the office (mainly blokes) seems to be that it's and blatantly commercialised, and pretty much meaningless. But I think a lot of women quite like the occasion, and would be rather upset if their S.O. didn't make some kind of gesture. Personally - the day holds no particular significance for me, but it's a bit of fun, and a good excuse to have a nice meal (either in a restaurant or at home).

louisiana Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yes. Good stuff. Did you go with Ecotricity, or someone else?

Michael Palaeologus Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am haunted by the spirits of past Anglias' and Cortinas'. I've seen some imaginative use of the apostrophe over the years, but this one is truly special. Well done Mike!

Emerson Crane Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > aren't true gypsies meant to hail from Romania and not Southern Ireland? Gypsies are not necessarily Romani, no.